


Red String (Brought Us Together & Tied Us Together)

by PugsOfHouseTargaryen



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Korra being badass but mushy for Asami is my aesthetic, Slow Burn, asami you precious cinnamon roll, badass Korra, goody goody Asami, like slow burn AF, though the soulmate thing doesn't dominate the story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 16:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 64,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6291598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PugsOfHouseTargaryen/pseuds/PugsOfHouseTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami's dreams are constantly filled with blue eyes and crooked smiles—belonging to a girl she doesn't know.</p><p>She always assumed the girl was merely a figment of her imagination.</p><p>And yet one seemingly ordinary day, she finds herself staring straight into achingly familiar blue eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Eyes Hold Mine Captive

**Author's Note:**

> I just keep starting new fics don't I?
> 
> This story has been lurking in the back of my mind for almost a month now and I just had to start writing it! 
> 
> I won't make this too long, because goddamn, the chapter itself is hella long already haha
> 
> Not too confident about this one honestly, but I hope you like it!

_"'Why'd you lock the door', the doctor's assistant says," Korra said in a low voice, mustering up every bit of creepy in her tone._

_In this dream, she appeared to be younger, maybe 13, judging by her reflection on the mirror visible at the corner of her eye._

_The only other person aside from herself sat across from Korra, her raven black hair iridescent under the glow of the flashlight they brought with them. After some contemplating, Korra decided that the girl looked to be almost the same age as herself—despite knowing that the mystery girl was in fact older than her, considering how many versions she's seen of her every night. Older, younger—these details were insignificant to Korra. It was always the same girl._

_But despite that knowledge, Korra still had little to no idea as to what this girl's name was. All she remembered was that her name started with a letter A. Korra resorted to calling her mystery girl, which really bugged her, but she had to work with it due to the lack of her real name._

_The two were having a sleepover in Korra's room—ironic since Korra knew she had to be asleep to be witnessing this, that's how dreams worked after all—huddled under the fort they made with nothing but her bed, a blanket and their determination to have the best sleepover ever._

_It was the raven haired girl who concluded no sleepover would be complete if they didn't share the scariest ghost stories they knew. Korra suspected she regretted making that suggestion._

_The mystery girl looked torn between scooting closer to Korra and running away from her, frozen a few inches from the other girl. Her green eyes were wide with fear and excitement, both eager to find out how the story ends and wanting to cover her ears to not find out at all. Korra fought the smirk threatening to split her face. She had to keep up character after all._

_"The man—" Korra fake stuttered as she continued the story, making the fear evident in her voice as she acted as the doctor, "The man behind the door. He was wearing a red tag on his wrist."_

_She spared a glance at the raven, who was watching her with rapt attention. The brunette paused to give the mystery girl what she believed was a creepy smile, "I'm afraid I'm not following, ma'am. There's nothing to be worried about." Korra mimicked the softer and calmer voice of the assistant._

_Even as the storyteller, Korra was getting a little scared herself and judging by the look on the raven's face, her fear was nothing compared to what the other girl was feeling. She gave herself a figurative pat on the back._

_Korra widened her eyes, breathing heavily, "The red tag—" she whispered, "That tag is used for the bodies in this morgue." She paused for dramatic effect, trying to give the impression that the story had already ended._ _It seemed to work._

_The raven let out a breath she seemed to be holding in and gave the blue-eyed girl a brave smile, albeit a shaky one, "Hah, that wasn't so bad," she said. Neither of them were convinced._

_Korra shrugged, "If you say so," she said before snapping her head up and warily eyeing the bedroom door, "Do you hear that?"_

_The raven squeaked as she jumped 3 feet above the ground and practically landed on Korra's lap, her whole body tense as she watched the door as if people with red tags would barge in any minute. Korra wasted no time tying the red string around her wrist, using the raven's fear as a distraction. Everything was going according to plan._

_Korra lowered her voice and whispered in the younger girl's ear, "The red tag looked something like this," she said as she lifted her arm to show the red string she had tied around her wrist._

_The green-eyed girl squealed, literally all limbs as she scrambled off the bed and running out of her bedroom with Korra unable to control her laughter as she ran after her._

_She finally caught up to the raven at the end of the hall and saw her with her arms crossed and the most ridiculous pout on her face. This only made Korra laugh harder before she ran into her and tackled the girl to the ground. Korra's fingers flew across the raven's ribs, laughter erupting from both girls._

_"I'm going to kill you someday," the mystery girl warned once she managed to grab hold of the brunette's wrists, but her playful tone betrayed her, a smile fighting to rest on her lips no matter how hard the raven tried to keep a straight face._

_Korra smiled down at her, "You love me,"_

_The mystery girl rolled her eyes, "Unfortunately, that's true,"_

_They slept soon after that, with the younger girl tucked under Korra's chin and Korra's arm wrapped protectively around the raven. In the morning, Korra would watch how the sun played with the girl's hair, how the room seemed so dull when those bright green eyes opened the first thing in the morning to smile up at her._

_The green-eyed girl's smiles were Korra's favorite._

 

* * *

 

Korra's eyes snapped open upon hearing her alarm go off and groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. She reached over and blindly searched for the snooze button, contemplating on throwing the clock across the room when it wouldn't just _shut the fuck up_.

The more time she spent awake, the more she could feel the peace that came along with dreams of the raven-haired girl slip away and she knew it would be gone in a matter of minutes. She's been dreaming of the same girl for as long as she could remember and they were always enough to distract her. Distractions were what Korra needed the most and she welcomed this one with open arms and it usually proved to be enough.

At least until she woke up.

She finally got the alarm to leave her alone after multiple attempts but she knew it was too late, feeling the dream slipping away no matter how much she tried to grasp at it, to prolong it, enough to fool herself into believing it was real.

She craned her neck so that her cheek was resting on the pillow and she was looking at the empty space by her side. Sunlight filtered in through the curtains, spilling over the room, across the floor and over her bedsheets. Still somewhat caught in the dream, she could easily imagine the girl asleep beside her, the sunlight bringing out the lighter strands of her dark hair, her soft breaths lightly brushing the skin of Korra's cheek.

Korra dreamt of the same girl every night; albeit a different version of her each time _—_ it was always the same jet black hair, the same green eyes. Somehow, those features were the only ones the brunette could remember before waking from her slumber, despite seeing the girl vividly in her mind a few minutes before. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't grasp any other feature, _anything_ else to help identify this girl she knew better than herself. She always ended up giving herself a huge migraine.

She could spend the whole day thinking about this mystery girl but if she learned anything over the years, it was that it was pointless to dwell in something that wasn't real, especially if it got her nowhere.

She squeezed her eyes shut, going through her daily routine of wiping her mind clean of the dreams she has everyday, blinking away the images attempting to burn themselves into the back of her eyelids. She needed to function today and that would be impossible if all she could think about was the same green eyes that haunted her dreams for years.

 

* * *

 

She was grabbing her books before heading out of the council room when a shiver ran through Asami's spine for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Which was really odd, considering how she bothered to bring her jacket despite the weather being somewhat warm. If she had to pick one good thing, it was her favorite leather jacket.

Because everything else went down to shit.

She fell asleep on her desk the night before in an attempt to pull an all nighter to finish a paper due that week. Sure, she didn't have to do everything that night, but Asami was efficient, and that meant doing everything before it was too late. Besides, if she didn't get it done ASAP, she would have to cram and that would get her nowhere. Believe it or not, she gets really lazy when she's not hyperactive.

She lives on the extremes and it may kill her one day, if her body complaining as her muscles screamed at her was anything to go by.

After what seemed like an hour of stretching—when she knew for a fact it was actually just a minute _—_ she glanced at the clock and released a string of curses once realized she was behind schedule. She had the start-of-the-year student council meeting in about 30 minutes and that wasn't enough time for her to go through her daily routine. She silently prayed there wasn't any picture taking that day. She'd rather not be remembered as the one that looked dead on the first day.

After a quick shower and skipping breakfast, she grabbed her phone and her leather jacket on the way out the door and ran toward the campus like the devil was on her heels.

Thankfully, she made it to the meeting just in time.

Only to realize she left her keys in her apartment.

First day of class and nothing was going her way. Absolutely nothing to worry about, _right?_

With a resigned sigh, she did a round to check if there was anything else in the room she needed. Deciding she was good to go, she turned around and locked the door on her way out.

Like every school year she spent here in Zaofu, she has been considered one of the best students—if not the best—by both her teachers and her fellow students. Asami had always shown humility, trying to blend into the background, but every once in a while a leader was needed. Either because people turned to her or it was just in her nature to lead, she wasn't sure. All she knew now was that people depended on her and the rest was history.

But along with that responsibility came with the consequence of having little to no time to herself. She leaned against the frame of the door and flipped over her binder where her new schedule was displayed, the letters jumbling before her eyes due to lack of sleep and stress.

It got difficult sometimes. Balancing her duties as a leader and her duties to herself, that is. But Asami was Asami. She tended to forget about herself most of the time and took care of others instead. Just like her mother.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling an incoming message. _Just in time,_ she thought to herself. Giving up on trying to figure out what her first class was, Asami pulled out her phone and read the notification on her lockscreen.

 

 **Dad**  
Morning sweetie! Have you eaten breakfast?

 

Asami cringed. She was going to get in trouble for this.

 

 **Asami**  
uhh I kinda skipped it??

 

Asami cringed even harder. She immediately sent a follow up text.

 

 **Asami**  
but don't worry mom

 **Asami**  
I'll grab something on the way to class

 

She could literally feel her father's disapproving stare through her phone and Asami found herself crossing her fingers, dreading her father's reply. Big Sato tended to get protective a little more than necessary.

 

 **Dad**  
All right. Stay away from junk food.

 

Asami breathed out a sigh of relief. She managed to dodge this one.

_Maybe today isn't so bad._

 

**Dad**

Oh and Suyin wants you in her office.

 

_Scratch that._

Asami groaned. She completely forgot, she was already being called for duty on the first hour of the first day of school. This day was going to be so  _fun._

With a resigned sigh, she headed towards the principal's office.

The funny thing was, Asami didn't hold a position in the student council, technically speaking at least. Yet not only the students, but also the principal relies on her leadership. At first Asami was flattered, sure. But it got tiring, especially since if something went wrong, she was the one to be blamed for some unknown reason. Asami wasn't exactly complaining, she loved her job—or whatever they wanted to call it—because she loved helping others. Maybe if they just toned it down a bit, the raven-haired girl would be perfectly satisfied with what they got going.

As she headed down one of the halls she knew like the back of her hand—because let's be real here, she could draw the floor plan of the _whole_  school, she's spent too much time here for anything less—she heard the bell echo across the walls. Students started to group together and file into their respective classrooms and all Asami could do was throw her hands up in defeat. Looks like she was missing her first class. So much for her first impression.

As far as she knew, she and Opal had the same class. Asami distinctly remembered covering the brunette's ass the time she was late due to a little make out session with her boyfriend—currently ex—so she owed Asami. But hey, what are friends for right?

Asami pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to her longtime friend.

 

 **Salami**  
gonna be late for the first class but unlike you, I actually have a valid excuse

 **Fancy Rock**  
are you ever gonna let that go

 **Salami**  
absolutely not

 **Salami**  
but anyways

 **Salami**  
mind letting the prof know I'm at Su's?

 **Fancy Rock**  
what makes you think I'm willing to do you any favors

 

Asami rolled her eyes and promptly opened her photo gallery and sent the picture she took of Opal during last Saturday's hangout at the local club.

 

 **Salami**  
blackmail

 **Fancy Rock**  
...

 **Fancy Rock**  
low blow Salami

 **Fancy Rock**  
but fine

 

She was about to put away her phone when she suddenly remembered forgetting her keys. She sent another text.

 

 **Salami**  
also could you let Kuv know I need to talk to her?

 **Fancy Rock**  
do I honestly have a choice?

 **Salami**  
<3 you, O

 

The smile that wound up on Asami's face didn't disappear even after the short spat she had with her friend. Despite the little love-hate relationship she always had with her friends, they knew they all loved each other unconditionally—though none would be caught admitting that—and had each other's backs no matter what.

Continuing her trek down the empty halls, she placed her phone back into her pocket and pulled out some spare change. She doesn't remember being any more grateful than she was at that moment as she stood in front of the vending machine the school decided to set up before the school year started. Only as she scanned her options did she realize how hungry she was, feeling her stomach growl and churn uncomfortably.

Just as she set her eyes on a pack of Cheetos—dad's words be damned, she was starving—her ears perked up upon hearing voices that suddenly echoed from the supposedly empty halls.

It was odd.

One moment she was completely relaxed, focused on the most mundane things like getting her hands on that particularly sinful-looking bag of Cheetos. But now, she was suddenly on high alert.

Her whole body felt electrified—her spine straightened, her eyes quickly scanning the hall, her ears hypersensitive, straining to hear more.

To hear what, she wasn't sure.

All she knew was that she had to know where that voice came from.

 

* * *

 

Korra was running late.

No.

She _was_  late.

On her first day.

_Fucking awesome._

Korra wasn't one to make a habit of showing up late. In fact, she wasn't even supposed to be late.

No, she had plenty of time.

Something just felt _off._

She was perfectly fine since she left her home, even going as far as grabbing something to eat, which she found unnecessary because she wasn't in particular need of sustenance. But she did it anyways.

Maybe that should've tipped her off. She should've known something was off that day because there she was, standing in front of the campus doors, staring at them like an idiot who didn't know how doors worked. It was pathetic really.

 _You're pathetic,_  she thought to herself. She couldn't find it in herself to take it back, which is saying something because Korra considered herself a woman of pride. Apparently today wasn't the case.

She heard the school bell's shrill cry resonate through the halls a few minutes ago and yet she just stood there.

Korra was normally so sure of herself. Even if she considered herself quite impulsive, she did everything with certainty.

She was doing the exact opposite at that moment.

She couldn't bring herself to just take those steps and she didn't know why. 

It pissed her off not knowing. 

She figured she was just nervous about being a new student, because that was normal right? But the closer she got to campus, the more she felt... _off_. She was starting to hate her lack of eloquence but there was no other way she could word it.

There was just something about this place that pulled at her insides. She couldn't point out what...or maybe who?

Well either way, she couldn't just stand there all day. She had lots to do and impressions to make. Being tardy on the first day didn't exactly help, but it'll have to do for now.

 _Deep breaths, Korra,_ she told herself.

She can do this.

This was nothing.

She's dealt with worse before.

It's just school.

Nothing to worry about.

The people here were probably going through the same thing.

They were probably nervous too.

What do they do to get rid of their jitters? Do they walk it off or do they—

_Oh my god, stop with the inner monologue and just move already, damnit._

"Excuse me, are you lost?" a voice suddenly spoke up from the hall to her left.

Clearly caught off guard, Korra quickly spun on her heel to face the source of the voice and her heart skipped a beat.

Because in that tiny split second, all Korra saw were green eyes.

 

* * *

 

Asami didn't exactly find what—or should she say, who—she was looking for.

She thought she had found the source of the voice and practically ran toward it like her life depended on it. She was desperate, she _had_ to find that voice.

It seemed too familiar, but Asami couldn't point out where she heard it before and it was bordering on painful not knowing.

She had entered the main hall and almost ran into someone in her haste. She managed to maintain her balance and grip the person's arm before they both ended up sprawling on the floor.

"Are you okay?" a voice said.

Asami quickly took a step backward to identify the person in front of her.

Not the person she was looking for.

Her heart dropped a little at the realization. She didn't know how she was so certain, though. She barely heard the voice, much less registered who it belonged to. But she was sure it didn't belong to this girl.

After getting over her initial disappointment, Asami took in the familiar green eyes and short, spiky hair. Opal.

She shook her head, "Uh—yeah yeah, I'm good," she said, still somewhat dazed. She couldn't help but look over the other girl's shoulder and check if there was anyone else in the hall with them, "What are you doing here?" she asked, almost an afterthought.

"I was just heading to the bathroom," Opal stepped into Asami's line of sight and quirked an eyebrow at the girl, "You sure you're alright?"

Asami dodged the question, because she herself didn't know the answer to that one, "Was anyone else here with you?"

"Actually, yeah, there was." Opal said after some hesitation, eyeing her as if she's lost it. Asami doesn't blame her nor does she think of correcting her. "Why do you ask?"

Asami was tempted to ask, but thought twice about it. She can only guess what Opal thought of her right now, looking crazed while she interrogated her. So she backed off.

Asami blinked hard, as if trying to get rid of the sudden haze she was in, "Nothing." she said dismissively if not sounding a little distant. "I'll see you later."

She quickly spun around, leaving no room for Opal to ask any questions. Asami kept walking away, but that didn't mean the encounter didn't still linger in her mind.

Every step she took away from the hall—away from where the voice seemed to be—weighed on her, and now Asami was on her way to Suyin with a pout on her face and a dark cloud looming over her.

But Asami has no reason to care. She _shouldn't_  care.

So why did her heart feel heavier than it did before?

She sighed as she pushed the whole thing to the back of her mind—she would deal with her confusing feelings later, not that she was all too excited about it—and rounded the corner that led to Suyin's office and after some contemplating, didn't even bother knocking once she stepped into the threshold. They haven't seen each other much since summer just ended, but they've done this too many times for formalities. Besides, Asami believes she's earned some respect from the woman, perhaps enough for her to treat her as an equal.

Or maybe just someone she knows on a personal level, "Hey Su," she greeted as she plopped down on the chair in front of the woman's desk.

The older woman didn't even look up, seemingly preoccupied with the documents spread before her, "Good morning to you too, Ms. Sato."

She tapped at the table to capture her attention, "Drop the act, Beifong." she teased.

Only then did she look up from her desk to quirk an eyebrow at the girl, "I don't even know why I bother being polite when you call me by my last name,"

"Because you love me," she stated matter-of-factly, "also because I do things for you, so you owe me," she said triumphantly.

She rolled her eyes at the raven-haired girl but conceded with a small laugh, "There's no winning with you, is there?"

She smirked up at the older woman, "Nope," popping her lips at the end for emphasis.

She ran her fingers through her hair before throwing a hand up in defeat, "Well, you do take up after your father, after all,"

"Good you know," she stood from the chair and started roaming the walls of her office, "So what exactly did you call me in for?"

"Can't I just want to see my favorite student?" she scoffed incredulously.

"Favoritism is frowned upon in an educational environment," she deadpanned, stopping in front of the shelf she knew contained a picture of her father and Suyin standing in front of the freshly opened Zaofu. "Also I don't think Opal will be all too pleased with this statement of yours,"

Asami fondly remembered the time her father started working on building this college. Despite the long hours he dedicated to this project, he always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, saying her mother would've been proud. Asami had never seen the man so happy with his work.

The Satos knew Suyin for quite some time, even considered her a close friend. So when her father needed someone to look after Zaofu and its students, he knew exactly who to go to—Suyin's passion and fierce love for her city and its people showed them that. 

Suyin's light laugh echoed inside the small room, "All right, all right, you got me. I actually do want you to do something for me," she surrendered.

Asami turned away from the picture and smirked at the older woman, "And alas, the truth has been revealed," she mocked, "What's up?"

The woman raised her hands up in surrender, "Nothing difficult, I swear," she promised, "Actually, I need a favor,"

She sat back down on the chair she was initially on and raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Okay..."

"Don't sound so suspicious, Asami. It's nothing too drastic," Su gave her a reassuring smile before continuing, "I haven't mentioned it to your father, but I think you'd be perfect for the job,"

Asami had a bad feeling about this.

"A friend's daughter—a very promising student, actually—will be joining us here in Zaofu for her final year," he continued, "Her parents thought a change environment would be good for her after some rather  _unfortunate_ events,"

She noticed her hesitation and she couldn't stop the sudden spike of curiosity, "What happened to her?"

She eyed her, as if considering how much she should and  _could_  reveal, "Her parents love her dearly, Asami. They only want the best for her." 

Asami's eyebrow quirked up at the vague reply. Suyin seemed to catch on quickly.

She ran her fingers through her hair, "I really can't say much—" she cut herself off and looked intently at Asami.

The green-eyed girl met her gaze full on without fail. After a moment, Suyin looked away and released a sigh, "After what happened to her—well, let's just say she got quite—" she paused, looking for a term that could properly describe the situation, " _Self-destructive,_ " she settled.

Oh.

Her face must have indicated her surprise because Suyin nodded somberly, "I was the one who gave her parents the idea to let her stay here—to provide a change of environment,"

As much as she felt bad for the girl, Asami still didn't know how she fit in all of this.

"I don't think I can be the one to watch her because as much as I would like to, I don't think she would open up to me. I am the reason she's away from home after all." 

_Oh._

"So what exactly does this have to do with me?" she asked slowly. She already had an idea, but she needed to make sure.

"I think you'd be the perfect person to help this girl, to help her move on and live her life—"

She started to say more, but Asami cut her off immediately, "Wait,  _what?_ _"_

This was admittedly an odd request. As much as Asami wanted to help others, she didn't really fit the job description of psychologist-slash-caretaker-slash-service dog of someone she didn't even know. Why Suyin was asking her to do this she—

Wait.

Why was she even reacting that badly?

"Hear me out, Asami." Suyin seemed unperturbed by her reaction, "I believe you'd set the perfect example and be the perfect confidante. But I understand if this was a little unexpected."

Asami nodded slowly, her eyes a little wide with surprise, "Yeah, a little."

Noticing the older woman's shoulder slump, she immediately took back her words, "Wait, no—it's not because I don't want to do this, it's just that—" she waved her hands around her as she searched for words, "I don't think I'm qualified for this." she admitted.

Suyin nodded with understanding, "I know this is a lot for me to ask, Asami, but I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't think you were perfectly capable of handling this," 

Once she got over her initial shock, Asami realized after a while that she was right. Suyin knew her since she was young and she knew Asami always put others before herself. She didn't know why she had reacted so badly in the first place.

She didn't realize her silence could be interpreted wrongly. "Look, I understand if you decline and I wouldn't take it against you—after all, this is an odd request—"

Asami abruptly cut her off before she could think twice about it, "No its alright!" she exclaimed before realizing she practically shouted.

Her eyebrow raised at the sudden burst from the younger girl, Suyin seemed doubtful.

Asami cleared her throat and tried a different approach, "Don't worry, Su. I'll do what I can to help,"

The principal gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you, Asami," she said solemnly, "You really don't have to do this,"

"It's no problem," she amended, giving her a reassuring smile for good measure.

Honestly, she wouldn't be so sure about this if someone else asked. At least that's what she told herself.

But there was a small voice in her head told her she was supposed to be doing this, and it wasn't because Su was asking her.

The more she thought about it, the more the weird feeling in Asami's chest intensified—the one that's been there since she woke up dreaming of ghost stories with red strings and bright blue eyes.

 

* * *

 

This day did not just want to end.

Korra did as she was told. She went to this school despite how much she thought it was a stupid idea to transfer. She attended the class she found completely unnecessary because they weren't teaching anything the girl didn't already know.

She got up in the morning when all she wanted to do was keep dreaming of porcelain skin and deep green eyes—belonging to her only escape from every waking moment.

But there was _something_  about this school, something that poked at her yet she couldn't figure out what exactly. During the encounter she had with the green-eyed girl in the hall— _the wrong green eyes_ , a part of her corrected, much to her chagrin—she _swore_ something was pulling her toward a seemingly ordinary hall, as if she were being magnetically drawn towards that area, almost as if a string was pulling her there, all the while the memory of her dream that morning resurfacing.

The same part of her she tried so hard to suppress considered the possibility that the girl she dreamt of every night was there, just within her reach. But it was ridiculous, so she pushed the thought away.

She sighed as she sunk further into the armchair she settled in near the back for her current class. The kid beside her dared to give her a look of curiosity, but the moody girl easily shut it down with a quiet glare. He looked away quickly, his stature visibly more tense and Korra couldn't even bring herself to be a little smug about it. She's been at it all morning.

She's been dealing with the curious glances for the past few hours but she doesn't blame them. Admittedly, having a new student on their last year was a rare and strange occurrence. She probably would've wondered as well if she were in their shoes. But she wasn't, so they just had to deal with her and she couldn't care any less.

Her general attitude could be interpreted negatively so no one dared to pry, thankfully. Maybe people just assumed she wasn't in any mood to socialize and Korra was perfectly fine with that. She didn't think she could deal with any questions, at least not without scaring people off permanently. No one had to know she was in pain. Not that she would let anyone know of this weakness, of course. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

The school bell rang and Korra practically ran out of there, not bothering to wait for the professor's dismissal as she briskly stalked out of the room. She could feel eyes on her— _what's new?_ —but once again, she didn't care. She dared any one of them to try and stop her.

She just wanted to get out.

Just as she was contemplating on ditching the rest of her classes and go back to the empty apartment she called home, an unfamiliar voice echoed from the school's intercom, the sound of her name cutting her midstride, "Korra Aquilo, please proceed to the Principal's office."

She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her breathing for a couple of seconds. She knew she couldn't have avoided it for long, she just hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

Her sudden halt had disrupted the flow of students walking to their next class, earning a few dirty or confused looks from the people that had to circle her. She wanted to tell them to fuck off and mind their own business. Anger was her way of protecting herself from her own vulnerability, something she never had to do in her previous school, where she belonged.

Longing for familiarity hit her like a tidal wave and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed—not the one in her apartment, but _her_ bed in her _real_ home.

With a heavy exhale through her nose, Korra forced herself to turn around and head towards the said office. Thank god she passed by it earlier, she had too much pride to ask for directions. She briskly walked through the crowd, exuding the confidence she only wished she possessed. In a few minutes, she was being led by the Principal's assistant to a set of wooden doors.

Shadows and silhouettes danced across the cloudy window, indicating that there were people in the office. Korra wanted to speak up, to suggest that maybe the principal was probably busy at the moment but the woman that led her here was already knocking against the hard wood, allowing their presence to be known. She shut her eyes, _god_ _damnit_.

The silence inside the room was broken by hushed voices _oh so obviously_ talking about her and Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Searching for a way to distract herself, her eyes landed on the first thing in her field of vision and it just so happened to be the Principal's name printed on the surface. She knew the name very well. She was the reason she was here after all.

 _She's only trying to help_ , the rational part of Korra reasoned out. The proud, more feisty side of her smothered the thought.

After a second of unintentional listening, Korra realized there were just two people inside, only one of them she recognized. Why she bothered to care, she wasn't sure. Why her heart rate picked up at the sound of the other voice, she was even more at loss.

The silhouette became more distinct on the surface of the window, indicating that someone was right behind it. Korra released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and found herself absentmindedly fiddling with the red string dangling loosely from her wrist.

Then she heard the door click open and her breath caught in her throat.

She stood frozen in place and she couldn't stop staring at a person she didn't know—a person she _shouldn't_ know.

But she was certain those were the _same_  green eyes from her dreams.

 

* * *

 

Suyin set back the phone to its receiver, "She should be here in a few minutes,"

And when she thought Asami wouldn't hear, "Assuming she comes at all," she muttered quietly to herself.

Asami couldn't help but empathize with the girl she didn't even know. Despite not knowing what was happening, Asami understood completely when Su mentioned the girl's self-destructiveness. Asami was tempted herself before, when her mother's death still weighed heavily on her.

She recalled the time after her mother's death. If she had to use one word to describe the time, she would probably use lonely. Her mother was her best friend and confidante and when she died, Asami felt she had no one to turn to—not even her father. She felt alone for a really long time—that's when the self-destruction temptation came in—but soon she met her friends and people who cared about her. She opened up and suddenly everything was manageable.

She can't help but wonder how this girl— _Korra_ , she overheard Su speaking on the phone earlier—was holding up. The fact that her family believed a change of environment would be good for the girl was something. Asami believed that was a last resort and a desperate measure—something to do if you already tried everything else.

Despite the fact the raven-haired girl was still yet to meet her, Asami swore that she would do everything in her power to help this Korra, no matter what it took.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her palm and she faced it upward to see the notification.

 

 **This One Scares Me**  
you need help getting rid of a body?

 **Ms. Know-It-All**  
nothing that drastic Kuvira

 **This One Scares Me**  
damnit

 **Ms. Know-It-All**  
sorry to disappoint

 **This One Scares Me**  
I bet my eyebrows you'll need my help with a murder someday Sams

 **Ms. Know-It-All**  
your contact name has never been more accurate

 **This One Scares Me**  
why else would I put it there

 

A soft knock interrupted the otherwise undisturbed silence in the room. Suyin looked up at the door rather surprised, as if she was 100% certain her request would be ignored. Asami can't say she thought differently.

 

 **Ms. Know-It-All**  
I have to go Kuv

 **Ms. Know-It-All**  
meet me outside the Principal's office in a few?

 **This One Scares Me**  
way ahead of you princess. I'll wait

 

She placed her phone face down on her lap and looked up to see the woman torn in front of her. She looked completely out of her element and Asami could tell she needed a second to collect her thoughts.

She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow questioningly when she jumped at the sudden sound, as if forgetting about her presence completely. Clearly, this Korra wasn't the only one who didn't want to be here. Asami understood the feeling of not wanting to talk about things.

She pursed her lips, "Uh, I could leave for a second if you want. Give you some time to—give you and her a chance to catch up," she quickly amended. Obviously, she only had a vague idea as to what was going on and she wasn't about to make any assumptions.

Much to Asami's relief, Suyin looked grateful for the offer, "I think that would be a good idea, Asami," she said, offering her a half-hearted smile. Asami was starting to think that the woman wasn't as detached from the situation as she made herself to be.

With a slight nod, she stood from her chair and turned to leave. With only a moment's worth of hesitation, she faced the woman she trusted and treated as a mother figure, her hand was resting lightly on the doorknob, "I'll be waiting outside," she said kindly, hoping to provide whatever support she can. She didn't know the details, but being there for the people she cared about was the least she could do.

Suyin acknowledged her statement with a bow of her head and with that, Asami twisted the handle in her grip and took a step outside.

Then there was a sharp intake of breath before she froze.

She knew that short wild hair—her fingers had run through its dark strands hundreds of times.

She knew those eyes—it's bright blue was the last thing she saw before waking up everyday.

She knew that red string wrapped around her wrist—she saw it in a dream not too long ago.

She knew this girl—she lived in Asami's dreams every night.

Asami was sure her heart should've failed by now.

At the rate it was beating, she was more surprised it hasn't jumped out of her chest yet.

Asami's instincts told her to run towards this girl, because as ridiculous as it may sound, Asami felt like she was coming home after a long time of being away. The brunette seemed to be in a similar state, judging by the way her eyes stared intently into her own.

Yet that was all they did. They just was stood there and _stared_.

Because what rational mind would think it were sane to run into the arms of someone they supposedly never met?

Supposedly.

But even as they stood before each other silently, each drinking the other in, she knew that wasn't the case. Their eyes spoke volumes, probably more than what mere words can express.

_I know you._

There was a flash of understanding in those brilliant blue eyes, then:

_"Asami,"_

 


	2. Announcement/Sneak Peek/Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not an update oops sorry if I got your hopes up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hurt me pls
> 
> But the purpose of this non-update is to let ya'll know that I am in fact continuing this story and the update will be out by tomorrow or the next day!
> 
> It really depends on my schedule cuz I'm going to be really busy climbing walls and rappelling and free falling lol (adrenaline junkie!!!)
> 
> But so this isn't a total waste of your time, have a snippet of the next chap! :)
> 
> Also see the end notes for something I have in mind for you guys!

 

* * *

 

" _Watch where you're going," he warned almost automatically, already pulling away from her._

_Korra clearly did not give a shit as to where this kid was headed off to, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him towards her with a firm grip._

_He glanced down at the hand on his shoulder then at the smile forming on Korra's face. "What's your name, punk?" Korra asked, flashing a smile that almost seemed genuine. Almost._

_The boy could probably see the barely contained malice in her eyes. He tensed under her hand, huffing at the obvious challenge. "What's it to you?" he said, shrugging off her hand in another attempt to walk away._

_Korra shrugged nonchalantly and suddenly the smile on her face seemed more like a baring of teeth, "Can't have your headstone unnamed, can we?"_

_Before the boy could even blink in confusion, her fist had already collided with the bridge of his nose._

_His hand flew up to his face to try and stop the blood already flowing as he staggered backwards due to the force of the impact, but Korra was already stalking toward him for a second round._

_The nearby students already moved out of the way, eyes wide as they witnessed the incident before them. A smirk fought its way to her lips._

_She always loved a good audience._

 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra just can't help herself can she?
> 
> If you can't already tell by that snippet, a LOT is going to happen in the next chapter so I'm pretty excited to share it with you guys!
> 
> Also, I decided to make this non-update more interesting
> 
> How about... The first few people who can guess who this "boy" is in the snippet can ask for anything they want, 
> 
> like say, extra early updates just for them
> 
> or become an influence to this story and how it goes
> 
> It's up to you tho :) I won't reveal how many people I'm getting to make it more interesting hahaha
> 
> Place your answers in the comment box if you're interested in this challenge or you can ignore it completely hahaha


	3. I'm only human and I make mistakes (tell me everything's okay)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get messier and regrets are all over the place.
> 
> OR 
> 
> this story just took an angsty turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I actually updated on time??? Even I'm surprised 
> 
> Anyways this chapter is relatively short but that's only because I had to cut the original chapter in half, seeing how it reached somewhere around 10k words.
> 
> That being said, I hope this chapter isn't too underwhelming considering how I had to improvise (LITERALLY cutting the chapter in half) and I hope it still serves as a good follow up chapter.
> 
> Also this is where you find out the answer for the challenge! I'll be replying to your comments from the announcement chapter so watch out to see if you got chosen! 
> 
> Let's get to the chapter, shall we?
> 
> Hope you like it! :)

Korra had said her name.

Or at least Asami _thought_ it was the her that had spoken. She was so focused on those blue eyes to focus on anything else, too focused to notice that _Suyin_ was the one who spoke. It hadn't even occurred to her that the blue-eyed girl's lips haven't moved, much less say her name.

Asami had always prided herself in knowing that she was reliable when it came to dealing with the task at hand and not allowing anything to distract her.

 _Obviously not anymore,_ she had thought bitterly to herself. She excused herself with her head ducked down, the blush that spread across her cheeks still warming her cheeks as she currently sat in the waiting room outside Su's office waiting for the talk to finish.

They've been in there for a while now, long enough for Kuvira—who Asami had completely forgotten about—to come and look for her.

For a while, they just sat there—after Asami had filled Kuvira in—both straining to hear the conversation inside, though neither of them would admit doing just that.

 _"Are you fucking kidding me?"_ Asami visibly cringed when the once hushed voices became audible even from outside the Principal's office.

And with just five words, Kuvira literally jumped to her feet, "Oh—uh—I'd love to keep you company and all—but I have to head to class," shuffling in place as if she couldn't wait to leave the room.

Asami didn't blame her, she honestly did not want to be there at the moment, but she promised Su, so she nodded, "Yeah, don't worry about it," Asami insisted, "I'll see you after class okay?" she had a feeling she won't be attending any of her classes anytime soon.

Kuvira didn't even look back once she nodded her agreement.

She wondered if anyone should go and try calming everybody down—well, one of them at least. Asami glanced at the only other person left in the room with her—Su's kind, elderly assistant who looked like she's witnessed situations like this way too many times to count—and the woman all but shrugged helplessly at her.

She really shouldn't be listening but they really didn't give her much of a choice—she couldn't just turn off her hearing at will, after all.

"Korra, please, just hear me out—" She heard Suyin's voice distinctly, sounding rather strained as she tried to handle the situation.

Obviously, it wasn't working. "It's not enough that you had me dragged out here, right? You just _had_  to try and be the savior—but even _that_  wasn't enough for you, was it? " There was an incredulous scoff, "Thought _Ms. Star Student_  out there could pull me out of my _oh so_ corrupted ways? What was she gonna do? _Lecture me to death?"_ Korra hissed, voice practically dripping with sarcasm.

Usually, Asami would let comments like those roll off her easily, but this time it stung. It stung  _a lot._

Maybe it was because this girl barely even knew her and she was already throwing insults around, not even bothering to make sure they were valid. The hurt and surprise must have been obvious on her face, considering the pitying look the assistant gave her. Asami returned a reassuring smile, but even she herself wasn't convinced.

"Leave Asami out of this, Korra." Su warned in a low voice, "She's only here because I asked her to be, so if you want to blame someone, blame me—"

 _"I am blaming you!"_ Korra cut her off, "If it weren't for _you_ , I wouldn't be here in the first place! Because of _you_ , I left everything behind because _you_ wouldn't just mind your own fucking business!"

There were footsteps—Asami could imagine Korra stepping into the older woman's space, "Did you _ever_  consider that maybe this would only push me to be worse?" her voice dropped menacingly, "Or were you too caught up in the possibility of something good coming from you butting into people's lives when no one needed you to?"

The silence that enveloped them all after the girl's outburst was deafening; undisturbed except by Asami's muffled gasp. Those words were unnecessarily harsh and the hurt Asami felt earlier quickly transformed into anger.

"I—" Suyin's voice cracked; almost inaudible to her eyes but Asami didn't miss how it sounded broken and defeated, fueling her anger, "I thought I could help."

"You _thought."_ Asami's jaw clenched at the sound of the girl's scoff, as if she couldn't tell how hurt the older woman was—or she ignored it at least.

The sound of the door to the office clicking open made Asami snap her eyes toward that direction and she saw the object of her fury. Their eyes met from across the waiting room and for a moment, the blue-eyed girl looked thrown—her face was wiped clean of any negative emotion and the hatred in her eyes dissipated for a second, at least until she registered the fury in Asami's own eyes. The blue-eyed girl's mask of indifference was back and her lip curled up self-righteously. Asami wanted to slap the look off her face.

The tanned girl spoke up again, but she was looking directly at the raven-haired girl, so Asami wasn't sure whether she was talking to her or Su, maybe both.

"Do us all a favor and mind your own business—if you know what's good for you," and then she left.

Asami stared after her with her mouth slightly agape in shock. This girl had the audacity to talk to Su like that, had the audacity to talk about _her_  like that, had the audacity to walk out like that, the audacity to—

Asami could go on but the bottomline was: what a _bitch_.

The fact that Asami thought that was saying something. Asami believed herself to be an extremely patient and understanding person and this girl was _really_ testing that theory.

Shaking her head to try and clear the red haze forming at the corners of her vision—she figured screaming her head off wouldn't exactly come off as diplomatic—she turned to run after the girl, but not before kindly asking the assistant to check on Su. Asami would come back to check herself later on, but right now other things needed taking care of.

 

* * *

 

As she was shouldering through the sea of students the second time that day, Korra didn't think her day could've gotten any worse. Clearly, she was wrong and judging by the way the crowd literally parted for her, she didn't have to let other people know that she was just not in the mood.

Just when she could see the doors that led outside—she wasn't planning on staying in this prison and anyone who tried to stop her was asking for an early grave—she felt someone bump roughly into her shoulder, causing her to stagger back a little.

She whipped her head toward the direction of the offender, a snarl already forming on her lips. She was met with a glare—not that she was even a little intimidated—from a tall boy with spiky hair and amber eyes.

"Watch where you're going," he warned almost automatically, already pulling away from her and moving on to wherever he was going. Korra clearly did not give a shit as to where this kid was headed off to, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him towards her with a firm grip.

He glanced down at the hand on his shoulder then the smile forming on Korra's face. "What's your name, punk?" Korra asked, flashing a smile that almost seemed friendly. Almost.

The boy could probably see the barely contained malice in her eyes. He tensed under her hand, huffing at the obvious challenge. "What's it to you?" he said, shrugging off her hand in another attempt to walk away.

Korra shrugged and suddenly the smile on her face seemed more like a baring of teeth, "Can't have your headstone unnamed, can we?"

Before the boy could even blink in confusion, her fist had already collided with the bridge of his nose. His hand flew up to his face to try and stop the blood already flowing as he staggered backwards due to the force of the impact, but Korra was already stalking toward him for a second round. The nearby students already moved out of the way, eyes wide as they witnessed the incident before them. A smirk fought its way to her lips. She always loved a good audience.

She was pacing the hall around him like a predator closing in on it's prey. He steadied himself on his feet and bared his teeth at her, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he spat, blood spraying onto the floor.

She was still overflowing with fury from the earlier talk, unfortunately the boy was at the wrong place at the wrong time. No one can really blame her for taking the opportunity. Count your blessings, right?

_Right._

The smirk on her face grew, "Why don't you come here and find out?"

 

* * *

 

Asami initially had no idea where the girl headed off to, because damn, she was _fast_.

She's been going same halls for a while now—at least it felt that way, she wouldn't really know if she's been there for hours or seconds, her anger made time irrelevant. She was worried that the more time she spent looking, the more her anger would fade away. She couldn't afford that, especially when her initial reaction would be to stare at the girl and wonder why she seemed so familiar.

But around a minute later—she wasn't sure. Honestly, why did she bother—she heard shouts coming from the hall to her right. It could've been anything, but Asami quickly ran toward where she believed where the commotion to be. Her anger spiked upon hearing a particularly narcissistic laugh—which she believed came from the person she was looking for because no one else's laughter could sound so arrogant—urging her to run faster.

And she wasn't wrong. Once she turned a sharp corner in the direction of that loathsome sound, she halted in her steps once her eyes were drawn to flannel she saw not too long ago. But what her eyes landed on were those blue eyes which flicked up to meet her own almost simultaneously.

Just as she feared, the anger she felt boiling in her blood just a few moments ago disappeared. She was probably imagining things, but whatever spite that was visible in those blue eyes vanished as well.

At least until a fist barely missed coming in contact with the tan girl's face, those blue eyes snapping back to attention to what was in front of her, breaking the hold they had on Asami.

Asami shook her head and suddenly her focus zoomed out, immediately taking in the situation.

Asami could say for sure that fist fights rarely broke out here in Zaofu, and yet the blue-eyed girl was already in one on her first day here with none other than the person she knew her whole life—Mako.  Asami doesn't even blame him—blue eyes looked like she's been itching for a fight since she left the office.

The girl was currently waiting for Mako to make his move, but somehow it didn't seem like she was on the defensive. Despite their height and built difference, the flannel-clad girl clearly had the upper hand, her movements calculated and sure despite the obvious energy barely contained under her skin.

If the circumstances were different, Asami would've been impressed with the girl's performance. She couldn't help but admire the girl's fluid movements as she easily dodged everything that came at her, her focused eyes as they attentively anticipated the opponent's next move, her heavy yet swift punches—

_Goddamnit Asami, this isn't a boxing match._

She mentally shook herself and yelled out, "Hey!" she tried, but her voice was easily drowned out by the rowdy cheers from the students around her.

She pushed herself to the front of the crowd to try and get them to hear her, "Stop it!"

Nothing was getting to them and then, almost as if in slow motion, Asami saw the girl's arm tense, the muscles in her bicep bunching up, her arm perfectly lined up to the boy's face.

Then Asami did something she probably should've thought through first.

Because she didn't realize the implications of stepping into the middle of a fight, at least not until she was literally _in the middle_  of it, the fist just barely touching the tip of her nose with less than an inch to spare as she stood in front of Mako protectively. She barely registered the sudden silence as the cheers died down around her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Asami realized the damage done to Mako's face was even more obvious from up close—blood oozing from split skin Asami didn't see from afar, his purpling skin under his eye indicating the black eye that was going to form there—while the girl was left relatively unscathed. Not that she really cared about any of that at the moment, considering out she almost got her lights punched out.

She let out an exhale shakily, both from relief and the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She slowly opened her eyes—which instinctively closed as she braced for impact—and found herself staring at the blue she's found herself caught in too many times that day, the fist in front of her face not moving away as a clear display of challenge. Asami met her gaze steadily, showing that she was not afraid and could take anything the girl would give her.

Eventually, those blue eyes faltered and the hard lines cut deep between the girl's eyebrows smoothed out. Asami felt both relief and triumph at the sight of the girl submitting as her hand unclenched, but that feeling was short-lived because Mako seemed to wake up at the worst possible time.

He used the girl's distraction and moved between them, grabbing the girl's wrist and pulling her arm back—rather roughly—in an unbreakable grip. Her blue eyes widened, her spine becoming rigid as she cried out in pain.

Suddenly feeling a surge of protectiveness for the girl, Asami panicked. Considering how the girl was just milliseconds from knocking Asami unconscious, this was odd behavior. But that didn't stop her as she instinctively grabbed the arm gripping onto the girl and hit the pressure point inside his elbow _hard_.

There was a collective gasp around them before Mako let out a loud yell, releasing the girl and wrenching his arm away from Asami.

She didn't give herself time to take in the incredulous and hurt look on Mako's bloodied face. She didn't give herself time to listen to the whispers that spread through the crowd around them like wildfire. She didn't give herself time to think about what she just did and where her loyalties actually lied.

All she did was grab the arm the girl wasn't clutching to herself and ran toward the doors that were only a few feet away from them.

It was almost comical really. Just a few steps more and this whole situation might have been avoided. Just a few steps more and Asami wouldn't have had to betray a friend to protect a girl who has been nothing but a hostile stranger to her.

Speaking of hostile, "What do you think you're doing?" the girl with blue fire burning in her eyes demanded as they crossed the front of the campus with brisk strides.

Asami ignored her and proceeded to move as if she wasn't being addressed. Her mind was still stuck on what happened.

The girl wrenched her hand away from Asami's grasp, shaking it out once she found herself far enough from the raven-haired girl. Asami suddenly noticed the ache in the hand she used to pull the girl along now that it was resting at her side. She didn't realize she was gripping onto the girl so tightly. She was about to mutter out an apology when the girl beat her in speaking up first.

"I thought I made I was perfectly clear when I said to mind your own business." and just like that, Asami immediately swallowed her apology.

Asami's eyebrows flew up in disbelief, "Are you kidding me?" she said incredulously, "I was just trying to help—"

"Oh my god," the girl interrupted, running a hand through her short hair in frustration, "What is up with you people and thinking you can just  _fix_ everything around you?" she asked, sounding somewhere between exasperated and genuinely curious.

Asami scoffed, this girl was really getting to her nerves, "Well,  _excuse me_ for making sure no one ended up dead on the floor!"

That same arrogant smirk was coming back too often for Asami's liking, "Well that clearly wasn't going to be me," she said as a form of farewell, already walking away to god knows where.

But Asami wasn't having it, "I'm not done talking to you!" she shouted as she ran up to her and grabbed her shoulder.

The girl immediately whipped around and twisted away from Asami's relatively light grip, pain contorting her features as she once again clutched at her shoulder. 

"Shit, I didn't mean to—" Asami started, only to be cut off again.

The girl waved her off, "I'm fine," she said as she did a stellar job readjusting her expression, though her eyes were like windows and Asami could see she was in extreme pain.

It registered to her that the shoulder she was clutching belonged to the same arm Mako had forced back. Asami suddenly remembered the cry of pain the girl had let out, way too strong to be considered as nothing.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stepping closer to examine the girl's shoulder.

But the shorter girl took a step back, "I'm fine." she repeated, firmly this time. 

Asami wasn't convinced. She took another step forward, reaching out a hand,  "I think we should have that checked—"

"I said it was fine okay!" the girl exclaimed frustratedly, jumping a good 3 feet away from her, "Just  _fuck off,_ will you?"

Instead of feeling hurt or angry, Asami felt pity once she heard the girl's tired tone. 

So she backed off, "Okay." the raven-haired girl said as she took a step back.

Blue eyes avoided meeting her own. "Okay." the girl repeated, uncharacteristically quiet.

Her instincts screamed at her to move closer, to make sure the girl was alright, to get rid off the pain somehow. These thoughts were still confusing to her—they have been all morning—but she figured it would just be easier to let it happen. But as of the moment, she suppressed that urge. So she nodded and turned to head back into the building.

She could feel those blue eyes boring holes into her back but she didn't look back once. If she wished Asami to leave, then she would do it out of respect.

However, she couldn't resist calling back once she was standing in front of the school doors. Somehow she just knew the girl was still there and she would be heard.

"Did you ever consider that Su's not doing this to  _fix_ you," she emphasized the specific word the girl had used earlier, "but because she wants to be there for you?" and she entered the school's walls, leaving the girl to go over her words.

It was understood by the both of them that Asami wasn't just talking about Su.

 

* * *

 

Korra relished in the feeling of dulled senses as she tipped the bottle of whiskey pressed to her mouth, her tongue burning with the taste of the hard liquor and her lips burning a little as she took a hit from the nearly used up cigarette she balanced in the same hand that held the bottle.

She should really stop smoking the stick, considering how she was already smoking the filter but really, who gives a shit?

Definitely not her, that's who.

With her dominant hand currently preoccupied, she had to keep her left hand on the steering wheel and honestly, it proving to be difficult.

But since when did she ever turn down a challenge?

She's been driving around with no particular destination in mind for hours now—she wasn't sure honestly, her only indication of how much time had passed was the number of stops she made at nearby gas stations to buy more booze and packs of smokes. Thankfully, she only had to stop one time for gas since she left the campus before noon. Which was awesome, since less money spent on gas meant more money to spend on the good stuff.

Having to juggle both the bottle and the cigarette in one hand while steering with the other was nearly impossible, and with her muddled mind getting worse by the minute, she found that she could only focus on one thing at a time. 

Which was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her at the moment—well at least until a cop pulls her over, but that hasn't happened yet so yeah worst thing—because contrary to popular belief, she didn't want to die—she wouldn't want her whiskey to go to waste after all.

 _Not because a lot of people would be devastated and you don't want to be the cause for that pain? a_ small part of her argued.

She knew that part of her had a point, because no matter how much she made sure everyone around her believed she only cared for herself and no one else, her old self—the one that was passionate and loving—still remained, even just a little. That didn't mean she liked it, especially when thinking about the old her only served as a reminder of what she was now and what had caused it.

Korra brought the bottle back to her lips, the liquid inside sloshing in time with the unsteady movement of the car. It still wasn't enough to drown out the thoughts in her mind though, so she tipped the bottle even more until it bottomed out, her view of the road in front of her temporarily blocked by the bottle.

She wouldn't have seen the headlights that was coming straight at her if not for the angry horn that caused her to put the bottle away, too intoxicated to notice she had strayed from her own lane and wandered over to the opposite, her eyes going wide as she just barely missed the car that speeded past her.

"Stay in your lane, idiot!" Korra heard over the roar of the wind, so she thrust her hand out of the window and flipped her finger in the general direction of where the voice came from.

Normally, Korra would release a string of curses and insults to follow, but she was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion—and upon further contemplation, she found it wasn't just physical, but emotional as well.

The words that the green-eyed girl—Asami, she absentmindedly corrected herself—still plagued her mind. That and how she felt like shit for acting like a bitch to the girl when she did absolutely nothing wrong. Usually Korra wouldn't care about what other people felt as a result of her attitude—hell, she didn't even give a shit about what her parents felt—but when Asami had defended Suyin's intentions, clearly implying that she was also referring to herself, Korra felt guilt eat at her as she walked away and even up to this moment as she drove under the dark sky.

Maybe it was because underneath the anger on Asami's face earlier, Korra saw a hint of hurt in her eyes as she walked past her to leave the office. Korra cursed herself—it was likely that the green-eyed girl had heard every word she had said to Su, including what Korra had said about her, unintentionally insulting her. She sighed as she slumped further into the seat of her Jeep. She really hadn't meant to get on Asami's bad side, but obviously, it was too late for that.

Her eyes flicked down from where they were initially focused on the road—or at least tried to focus, considering her current state—and settled on the blinking light on her dashboard. Out of gas already? Time literally flew by without her notice because she swore it couldn't have been too long since she refilled her tank.

Korra contemplated on going for another stop at a gas station for another refill, but decided against it. Her eyes were starting to droop and the day's events started to weigh on her a long time ago so she deemed it time to head back home. Thankfully, the apartment wasn't too far from where she already was.

Around fifteen minutes later, Korra stood in front of her apartment door, her now-empty whiskey bottle in one hand and the other pushing the door open. She stood at the entrance of home, at least she called it that but it honestly felt more like a tomb.  Before she moved here, she made sure she got to choose and design her own apartment—not that she was any good at it—as one of her conditions before her parents finally convinced her to study at Zaofu, but she absolutely  _hated_ it. 

Sure, it held everything that she kept in her old room, even bore some similarities to it, but it still felt wrong. It didn't feel like home, more like four walls that contained pieces of home.

She sighed before finally stepping into the threshold and shutting the door behind her. She didn't linger anymore than necessary, not wanting to feel the consuming emptiness, only stopping to to leave the empty bottle on her counter and to switch on the radio in an attempt to drown out the deafening silence. She did this everyday, not that it worked though.

Korra stripped off her clothes except for her underwear as she walked over to her bedroom and collapsed down to her softer-than-she-remembered bed, her worn body welcoming the relief almost immediately. She didn't fall asleep until hours later, of course.

Unsurprisingly, she was submerged into a dream the moment her eyes fluttered closed—thinking long dark hair and green eyes were enough to make her put the day behind her and her confusing feelings with it.

She was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said earlier, I hope it wasn't too underwhelming.
> 
> but good news is, if you did find it underwhelming, I'll be releasing the next chapter earlier (sometime in the middle of this week) so watch out for the update!
> 
> Super thanks to Drez for reading through the 10k for me!
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter! :)
> 
> As always, any form of feedback (kudos/comments/bookmarks) is greatly appreciated! It may seem insignificant to you, but each time I see someone leave a comment or add to the kudos count really matters to me!
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	4. build your hopes up like a tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theories are tested and decisions are made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's the other half of the previous chapter released earlier than planned! I think I like this one more since its the start of the conflict and I can finally set this story rolling
> 
> Anyways, I'm going to keep this short. Not too confident with this one since, well, I'm never confident about my work haha
> 
> Hope you like this one!

_It was too dark._

_There was nothing but darkness._

_Darkness and the feeling of impending doom._

_Asami had no idea what was happening and she started to panic. All she knew was that she was trapped and alone and darkness darkness darkness._

_Then she felt it._

_She felt the heat._

_Heat like no other she felt, using up all the oxygen all around her._

_She struggled to breathe, inhaling but the action didn't cause her any relief. In fact, it only made her regret doing so, coughing and choking before it hit her—_

_Oh god, the smell._

_Suddenly, the darkness made a lot more sense because it wasn't darkness at all—it was smoke._

_The panic she felt earlier surged into a higher intensity, her instincts telling her to run. She realized that there was nowhere to run, colliding into walls no matter which direction she went._

_"Help!" she tried to scream out, but her voice turned hoarse from inhaling too much of the unclean air. It didn't stop her from trying harder though._

_She tried and tried until her shouts turned into mere croaks, then to whispers_ _. She could feel the hot air weighing down on her and she was running out of oxygen._

_Defeated, she sank down on the floor and tried to concentrate on breathing. Her throat was sore and her ears rang from the echo of her own voice as they uselessly bounced off the walls around her. It wasn't looking too good and she knew it._

_Just as she was starting to lose hope, she thought she heard a voice suddenly answer her calls. She had to strain her ears to make sure she wasn't imagining things, and then, "Hold on, I'm coming!"_

_She knew that voice._

_Relief flooded her and the prospect of getting out of there was enough to fuel a burst of adrenaline. She jumped up to her feet and shouted toward where she believed the voice had come from, "I'm over here!"_

_Then, like a literal light from above, she saw bits of rock falling apart above her, rays of light cutting through the dark smoke as the voice coming from the newly-formed hole grew clearer, "Almost there, Asami." the voice reassured, "Just a little more,"_

_Asami held her arms up to protect herself from the falling debris, but not once did she allow herself to look away from the hole as it increased in size_ _. She could feel tears streaking her soot-stained cheeks. She was finally going to get out of this hell hole._

_Soon the hole seemed to be big enough for her to climb through but it was too far up for her to reach. Then there was a hand reaching out for her to take, "Come on, I got you." the voice said._

_Asami couldn't see who it was but she knew if she tried hard enough, she would see blue eyes staring back at her. She almost didn't notice the fire grow around her as it touched burning embers. Almost._

_She quickly grasped the hand and felt herself being pulled upwards, the arm lifting her strong enough to support her weight. But unfortunately, not the same can be said for the concrete separating her and her only means of escape._

_The cracks made the concrete weak, unable to hold both Asami's and her savior's combined weight. She saw it coming but before Asami could even grab hold of anything to break the inevitable fall, she felt more than saw it give out from under the blue-eyed girl._

_There was a second's worth of weightlessness before she hit the ground hard. Thankfully, she had curled up instinctively, pulling her limbs close to her body and landed relatively unscathed._

_A split second later, she heard a sickening crack of what sounded like bones breaking and an agonizing scream. Asami might as well have gotten hurt herself with the sudden jolt of pain that went through her she knew wasn't her own._

_Running completely on instinct, Asami immediately crawled over to the dark lump she saw writhing on the floor. Her vision was somewhat clearer now that they were under the dim light coming from the hole above them. The fire around them seemed wilder than before, nearly reaching them but she didn't care._

_She reached out to place a gentle hand on the shaking body, her eyes landing on blue eyes made brighter by the tears of pain that formed there. She shifted her eyes over to where the girl was holding her shoulder close to herself, obviously broken by the way it hung limp at her side. The sight seemed familiar to Asami, but she didn't put too much thought into it._

_Asami looked up at the hole around 5 feet above them. She could find a way to climb up and get out of there._

_She looked back down at the blue eyes that were staring up at the ceiling as well and she knew the girl was thinking the same thing—Asami could escape, but only if she left the girl behind._

_She squeezed the shoulder that wasn't hurt reassuringly. She wasn't going to leave if it meant she was going alone. She knew she would be throwing away her only chance of getting out of there alive, but she couldn't live with the knowledge she left someone else to die to do so._

_She hoped the girl understood and she did, judging by the fresh wave of tears and the evident gratitude in those bright blue eyes. Despite the situation, Asami couldn't help but think about how beautiful those eyes were under the flickering light of the fire._

_She noticed the air around them felt hotter, more constricting. Soon, she could feel her lungs rattling as they struggled for air and her skin start to sting from the heat _as the fire drew closer to where they were on the ground.__ _Instead of feeling the panic she felt running through her veins earlier, she felt calm._

 _Careful not to jostle the girl too much, Asami crawled closer and gently lifted the girl's head onto her lap._ _The girl winced at the movement, but made no move to stop her. Instead she scooted closer and tilted her head until her face was covered by Asami's shirt, the freshly shed tears soaking the fabric. Asami felt a familiar surge of protectiveness for the girl—why it felt familiar, she wasn't sure._

_She reached out to wipe the streak of soot that framed the side of the girl's face while her other hand combed through the girl's short tangled hair. She wracked her brain for something comforting to say. She could feel tongues of fire start to lick at her skin and clothes, yet she managed to sound calm and reassuring._

_"Hey, everything's going to be okay," she whispered, tenderly and gently despite knowing she should try and save her breath. It didn't matter now._

_She wiped the tears that leaked down once the girl looked up at her, "I'm not leaving you behind."_

_The girl averted her blue eyes and looked away, Asami found herself admiring the girl's features once again. The girl pursed her lips and tried to put on a brave face, despite the fact that they both knew she was beyond terrified. "You should try those rocks over there. You could use them as steps and you could reach the edge of the hole if you tried hard enough—"_

_She was cut off when Asami reached over and placed a hand on her cheek, making the girl look at her, "I'm not leaving you behind." she repeated, "Whether you want it or not, I'm not going anywhere."_

_More tears spilled from blue eyes, "I'm so sorry—" she tried to say before her voice cracked at the end. Asami shushed her and rubbed her thumb across her cheek reassuringly._

_The girl closed her eyes and when she opened them it was both sad and hopeful when she opened them,_ _"You'll stay with me, right?" the girl let out in a shaky breath._

_Asami gave her a small smile, "You already know the answer to that."_

_The girl smirked at her despite the obvious pain she felt as the fire touched them, "You always were stubborn,"_

 

* * *

  

Asami woke up with a start, jolting awake as a gasp escaped her lips.

She sat upright in her bed, her shoulders shaking as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't realize she had been crying until she felt a drop of wetness land on her open palm where it lay on her lap.

She rested her elbows on her knees and held her face in her hands, trying to calm her racing heart. She felt sweat trickling down the length of her spine and hot flashes rippling across her skin.

Asami tried a breathing exercise that worked on her before during these times, and another, and then another. After a few minutes she had gone through around five and none of them were working.

She sank back down to her bed. It looked like her breathing exercises wouldn't be enough this time. 

Asami turned her head and glanced at the clock hanging on her wall. 2:36am.

With a sigh, she decided that she wouldn't be getting better any time soon, at least not until she talked to the person she needed right now.

She grabbed her phone where it lay on her bedside table and held it over her face. She opened it and after a moment of lingering on the name of the person on her mind, she pressed call before she could lose her wits.

The phone rang three times before the other side of the line picked up, a sleepy but alert voice greeting her, sounding somewhat confused.

"Hey, I know it's late but—" she bit her lip, "Is it okay if you come over?"

 

* * *

 

Asami felt her heart race in her chest as she ran down the stairs when she heard her doorbell ring.

And by the time she stood in front of the door with her hand on the doorknob, it was absolutely pounding against her ribs and she had no clue why.

 _Calm down, Asami, what the hell is wrong with you?_ she chastised herself.

Shaking her head, she pulled the door open and was about to reach out and hug the person on the other side but stopped in her tracks when she realized the person in front of her was definitely not the person she expected. 

In fact, this was the last person Asami expected on her doorstep at 3 in the morning.

_Korra._

She studied the blue eyes that greeted her own, flicking between her and their surroundings as if she was doubting her decision in coming here. Asami barely noticed that under the thick coat, the girl was wearing the same thing she wore earlier that day. No, she was too busy staring at the girl in shock.

"What are you doing here," the words escaped Asami's lips before she could stop herself. Asami wanted to smack herself on the face—she hadn't meant to sound so hostile. She was just surprised, is all.

Clearly, the blue-eyed girl took it the wrong way, her expression turning cold. If she looked nervous a while ago, she obviously didn't feel that way now.

"You know what—you're right. You probably have better things to do, sorry for being such a bother." the girl said rather rudely, completely taking the meaning out of everything she said as she spun on her heel to leave.

Asami—against her better judgement—called out, "Wait!" 

 _What are you doing, Asami,_ she asked herself as Korra halted in her steps and turned around to look up at her with an eyebrow raised in her direction.

Asami bit her lip. As much as she would like to pretend this encounter hadn't happened because this girl has been nothing but rude to her, she knew Korra was here for a reason. They weren't in the best of relationships at the moment and she wouldn't call them friends—so obviously Korra wouldn't come all the way here for a friendly visit. 

Suddenly remembering the girl was still waiting for her to continue, Asami searched for something casual to say since she didn't exactly have anything else to say without being too straightforward.

She failed, of course.

Korra could probably see her struggle and Asami could see the girl was enjoying it. It was evident in the way the blue-eyed girl crossed her arms and looked at her expectantly, a smirk idly playing on her lips. Asami would be lying if she said the sight didn't infuriate her.

After a moment of frustration and suffocating silence, she gave up and decided to just address the elephant in the room, "I know I sounded rude earlier, but I really am wondering what you're doing standing on my doorstep," she said finally.

Korra broke her intense stare and settled back like she had won something, her smirk growing wider. Asami wanted to hit something, preferably the girl in front of her.

"Why?" Korra asked innocently, "Did I disturb the princess' beauty sleep?" she drawled with a pout on her lips.

"You didn't wake me up," Asami bit back, rolling her eyes, "It was a bad dream that woke me up, so don't flatter yourself."

Recognition flashed quickly across Korra's features but before Asami could figure out what she had said to cause it, the girl wiped her face clean.

Asami raised an eyebrow at the girl's unusual behavior. Still, she couldn't stop from feeling satisfied at the girl's lack of reply. Suddenly wanting a bit of payback for earlier, Asami allowed herself a tiny bit of pettiness.

"By the way," Asami said, moving close enough for the girl to step back a little, "How'd you know where I live?" 

She paused as if to think then faked surprise, clapping a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened, "Are you stalking me?" she whispered scandalously.

Asami had never wanted to take a picture of a moment so badly till then, wanting to immortalize the look of horror on Korra's face, then how outraged the girl looked as she sputtered, "Don't be fucking ridiculous—I'm not—Su texted me your—I would never—"

The girl's beet red face and how quickly her pride was wounded was too comical. Asami couldn't stop the laugh that managed to escape her lips.

Much to her surprise, it wasn't taken the wrong way. She found a small smile mirroring her own once the girl had gotten over her awkwardness and Asami was immediately caught off guard.

Asami found herself admiring the way even a hint of a smile made the girl's blue eyes brighter, _She_ _should really smile more often, it fits_ _her and now that I think about it, I haven't ever seen her smile and she's smiling at me now and—w_ _ow, pull it together Asami._

She had no idea what was making Korra so alluring. Her rational mind told her all the bad things—how this girl was rude to everyone around her, how she didn't seem to have a grateful bone in her body and wow Asami could just go on—but she couldn't deny that she found the girl intriguing. 

The smile on the girl's face made Asami forget just about every negative thing she could think of.

But Asami forced herself to avert her eyes from where they were initially locked with blue ones. She needed to put her guard up around Korra, especially now that she was seeing no reason to. Asami wanted to trust her, but Korra has done nothing to prove that she deserved that trust—the exact opposite actually.

She cleared her throat as she subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself protectively, either from the cold or from Korra, she wasn't sure. "You never told me why you were here," she stated, sounding unintentionally—or was it intentionally?—distant.

Korra seemed to notice the change of behavior, the smile was suddenly wiped from her face and took a step back. Asami couldn't help but feel disappointed but it was kind of her fault after all. So she stood her ground.

The girl studied her carefully, not coldly like she had earlier, but more like she was wondering whether she should be honest. Asami waited, allowing the girl to take her time in deciding.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier today," Korra said finally.

Asami's eyebrows raised subtly in surprise. She hadn't expected the proud girl to bring up the events of the day, much less apologize for it. She chose to remain silent, letting the girl continue her apology. Asami still hasn't forgiven her after all. Korra seemed to get the message.

Sighing, Korra averted her eyes and continued, "I was being a dick. I have my reasons but that isn't an excuse." she ran a hand through her wild hair, huffing in defeat.

Hesitantly, she looked up and met Asami's eyes, wavering slightly but forced herself to maintain eye contact, as if willing Asami to see the truth in her words, "I'd really like to start again. I would like to earn your trust."

It was like she read her goddamn mind. 

But that wasn't the thing that struck Asami the most.

Because even though Korra's facial expression hadn't changed much, those blue eyes told Asami everything.

What really hit her was that Korra looked  _scared_. Like she wasn't used to letting herself be vulnerable in front of other people, and yet there she was, baring herself in front of Asami for her to see.

And just like that, Asami's walls fell—her icy facade melted and her heart warmed for this girl.

Ironically, as if the world existed to oppose them, the wind around her picked up, sending a chill down her spine. She shivered and subconsciously took a step closer to the warm indoors, not quite hiding from the chill but enough to avoid the worst of the wind.

Korra seemed to notice, taking a step back herself, pulling her coat closer to her body in a futile attempt to warm herself. As the girl closed the front of her jacket, Asami couldn't help but think Korra was doing the same to herself as well—closing off. Not completely like earlier that day, but enough that she wasn't so vulnerable. Asami felt disappointed, but consoled herself with the possibility of Korra opening up again, and one day, maybe, not have to block people out ever again.

The blue-eyed girl nodded towards the inviting warmth of Asami's home, "You should really head back inside. You aren't wearing much so you must be freezing," she said, her tone back to being indifferent.

Asami rolled her eyes. It was as if the girl couldn't wait to get out of there and was using every excuse to do just that. As if to prove her point, Korra was already turning to leave, without so much as saying goodbye like the rude person she pretended to be. Asami wasn't having it. 

Before she could think about it—if she ever planned to think through her words that day—she shouted, "I'll go inside if you will," her words effectively making the girl stop in her tracks for the hundredth time that day.

Korra turned around slowly and proceeded to stare at Asami like she just asked her to grow a second head. The small glimmer of what looked like longing in her blue eyes didn't go unnoticed by Asami.

"You are aware of the time right?" Korra said after a while, "It's nearly 4 am," she stated slowly like Asami was incapable of finding out the time for herself. The green-eyed girl just crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her chin in defiance. If being difficult and stubborn got this girl to listen to her, then so be it.

"Regardless of the time, I'm asking you to get yourself in here and away from the possibility of your car slipping on ice and you're going to do it because  _otherwise,_ _"_ Asami trailed off, flicking both eyebrows up smugly because she knew she already won, "I'm not going anywhere,"

 

* * *

  

 _I'm not going anywhere._  

Asami might as well have closed the space between them and slapped her in the face because that's  _exactly_ how it felt.

_I'm not going anywhere._

Those were the exact words from her dream, the exact words the mystery girl had said. Could she be Asam—

 _Okay wait,_ Korra thought to herself, _Maybe that was a little too farfetched, I mean it's not like it was some secret code or something that when said we'd be like holy shit it's you and then a rainbow will appear and angels would sing and then I'd look gross as I stare lovingly into her green eyes from my dreams—_

She stopped herself mid-ramble. 

Green eyes... Is that why Asami's eyes looked so familiar?

 _Holy shit_.

It was fucking impossible but it sure seemed like it.

Maybe she was still dreaming. She was half-tempted to slap  _herself_ to check if she was.

Maybe she heard her wrong.

Before Korra could dumbly ask Asami to repeat herself and wound her own pride—which has been wounded too much in one day for her comfort—she realized the girl was looking expectantly at her, still waiting for her to do something.

Too distracted to think of anything else, Korra absentmindedly climbed up the steps that led to the raven-haired girl's home. She was too busy mulling over Asami's words to notice the girl's smug smile spread across her face as she closed the door behind them.

Korra couldn't have heard it wrong. That was exactly what Asami had said. That was exactly what the girl in her dream had said. Put the two and two together and it couldn't be a coincidence. Korra knew those green eyes looked too similar—too  _familiar—_ for it to be a mere coincidence.

Korra needed to know.

Somewhere in the middle of her heated mental argument, Asami had decided to give her a personal tour of the house—not because she wanted to, but because she wanted to rub it in Korra's face that she had listened to her. It was extremely obvious with the smug smile that the girl couldn't seem to wipe off her face.

Korra really didn't care right now. She  _had_ to know.

The raven-haired girl was in the middle of talking about a lovely couch—Asami's exact words, not hers—when Korra interrupted the girl's subtle gloating, "Asami?"

As if sensing the sudden change of mood in the room, Asami stopped talking and turned away from the piece of furniture she was dramatically fawning over. Her expression turned serious as she looked at Korra curiously, "Yeah?" she sounded almost worried.

Korra opened her mouth to speak but snapped it shut almost immediately, suddenly doubting herself. Her original reason for coming here at such a late hour wasn't to apologize for her behavior earlier. The truth was, she wasn't even planning on going out of her way just to see Asami.

No, it was because of the dream she had not too long ago. Despite the hundreds of dreams she's had of the mystery girl—not once close to finding out who she really was—the last dream was different. For some reason, that night, Korra just felt off and soon she found herself in her car _._  

She drove aimlessly for a while, just like she had done a few hours ago, her mind only occupied with the lingering image of green eyes. She supposed the green eyes reminded her of Asami due to the similarity in color, at least that's what she told herself. Suddenly she had this uncontrollable urge to find Asami, to apologize—again, at least that's what she told herself.

So she didn't leave space for her mind to talk her out of it, to talk her out of going through Su's messages to find her address, to talk her out of driving like a madman before the sun even touched the horizon. She drove and drove until she reached an unfamiliar house, not fully understanding why she was there in the first place. She told herself earlier it was to apologize, but at that moment she was unsure.

Then suddenly, everything was clear. Why she was there, why there was an odd feeling that came with Asami's presence, why those green eyes seemed so goddamn familiar.

But now, as she stood before the said girl, she doubted herself.

If she spoke her mind, she will go from honest to absolutely vulnerable. She will go from bare to completely stripping herself of her skin to show the world what she was like on the inside—weak.

She hated that part of her. She hated that people she loved got to see her at her lowest points. When she had confided in them, they treated her like she was  _fragile_. So she learned to raise her guard and harden her shell, lashing out at the people who treated her like she was delicate and preventing herself from getting too close to others in fear of the same thing happening. 

But somehow, as she stared into those green eyes she loved in her dreams, Korra knew Asami would never treat her like she was any lesser of a person for who she was, for the things she was afraid to admit to anyone but herself. 

Despite not even knowing of her existence less than 24 hours ago, Korra knew Asami was different and that's what she used to fuel her next words.

She took in a deep breath, steeling herself when all she wanted to do was run and hide away from the world, "Asami, I need to ask you something—"

"I hope you aren't proposing, because I'd be  _extremely_ devastated if you were." A voice suddenly interrupted from behind her, cutting Korra from speaking any further.

She whipped around and realized she knew the person the voice had come from. Her fist had connected with his face multiple times that day after all.

The boy stood in front Asami's initially locked door, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack by the door, all the while his eyes never looking away from where they were fixed on Korra.

She could see that the effects of their fight earlier were more prominent now, some parts of his handsome face swelling and bruising. She couldn't even bring herself to be smug about it as she eyed the keys he held in his hand. 

 _Keys to her house,_ a part of her added unnecessarily, rubbing salt on her own wound.

Ignoring the way her heart dropped a bit at the sight, she gave him what looked like a genuine smile, "Actually, I was just about to before you came in." she retorted indifferently, her defense mechanism already working its magic.

"Well, it's a good thing I interrupted, huh?" he said, smiling at her innocently before walking past her. Korra was just about ready to smack that smile off his face.

But when she turned and saw him wrap Asami in an intimate hug which she gladly returned, the ache in Korra's heart grew until it physically hurt to breathe. She couldn't seem to rip her eyes off the pair even though she  _really_ wanted to. 

"Don't be a jealous ass, Mako." Asami laughed, temporarily forgetting Korra's presence in the room, "You know you'll always have me." she said before pulling back a little and planting a kiss on his cheek.

That was enough for Korra to finally avert her eyes.  

"I should really go, it's almost morning." 

In the corner of her eye, she saw the pair had separated and turned to look at her. She knew she had to look at them directly to come off as normal but all she wanted to do was turn away again when she saw Mako still had an arm wrapped around Asami's waist. 

The green-eyed girl spoke up, "You sure?" 

Just a few minutes ago, she was telling Korra to stay and now this kid shows up and suddenly it seems like Asami wants her out of there immediately. 

The thought stabbed at Korra's heart and she forced herself to look directly at the girl, "Yeah, I'm dead tired." she managed.

She lifted her hand to gesture at the pair in front of her, "I'll just leave you two alone then," she couldn't stop the hint of bitterness that managed to find its way into her voice.

Asami looked like she wanted to say something, but Mako beat her to it. 

"Drive safely, Korra." he said dismissively, already turning to walk away, leaving the two girls alone in the room once again.

The green-eyed girl stared after him before facing Korra and stepping forward. Korra raised a hand to stop her from coming any closer. Whatever she wanted to do, Korra didn't want to find out—not right now _._

Asami looked away as if to conceal the hurt that was clearly seen in her eyes.

"Okay then," Asami said thickly, clearing her throat to hide the fact her voice caught a little. 

Korra wanted to take it back but she was nothing if not selfish and petty, even if she knew Asami did nothing wrong.

But even with that knowledge, she turned around and pulled the door open. She breathed in the night air and it helped somewhat clear her mind. She could see the sun peeking over the horizon and she couldn't help herself.

Her body was still telling her to run, so she looked over her shoulder and gave Asami a faint smile, "Good morning, Asami." 

Asami let out a small laugh but Korra knew Mako could hear it from where he was. It was a small win, but really, it was Asami's laughter that felt more like the reward. The smile on Korra's face felt more genuine. 

Just as she turned to leave again, she was stopped from taking her first step when she felt a hand catch her own.

Korra looked down at their joined hands in surprise and then back up at those green eyes. Asami looked down as well and—almost as if she hadn't realized what she did—pulled her hand back suddenly, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Korra chuckled quietly, causing Asami to look away in embarrassment and twirl a finger around a strand of her long hair, "I'll see you tomorrow right?"

She had sounded so hopeful and the whole thing was so endearing that Korra couldn't help but give the girl her signature cocky—but genuine—smile.

"Sure thing, princess." 

 

* * *

 

As Korra closed the door of her Jeep after her, she couldn't resist the temptation to look back at where she had come from. Like she expected, Asami stood by the open doorway. Her arms were wrapped around her torso to protect herself from the wind when she could've stepped inside a long time ago. The thought of Asami watching her car until she was out of sight made her heart flutter in her chest.

But that smile faltered as she drove away, her foot slacking on the gas pedal until her car slowed to a snail's pace. In her haste to leave, she never got to confirm her suspicions and she had left empty-handed.

 _Well, not quite empty-handed,_ she thought to herself, a small smile sneaking it's way across her lips once again as she thought of blushing cheeks and musical laughter. 

Asami mentioned that she woke up from a bad dream. Maybe it was possible she was correct and Asami dreamt of the same dreams, no matter how crazy it sounded.

Korra wasn't exactly sure what compelled her to do so—but just as she was about to turn the corner, she snuck a glance at her rear view mirror where she could catch a glimpse of Asami's front porch and the smile fell from her face.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel because she didn't want her hands to acknowledge the sudden tears that fell from her eyes.

She clenched her jaw to keep in the sob threatening to escape her lips.

She kept her eyes fixed on the road because she knows if she didn't, she would just look back again.

When she was out of sight, she floored the brake and stopped right in the middle of the road, not caring that cars might pass by. 

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself like the arms that wrapped themselves around Asami from behind.

She leaned back into her seat the way Asami had leaned back into the warm chest pressing against her.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to burn away the image of Asami closing her eyes in content.

Maybe her suspicions were wrong after all and she was an idiot to even allow herself to hope.

That was the exact moment Korra had promised herself she wouldn't fall for Asami Sato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know Korra's not gonna stick with that decision right? She can't resist Asami haha
> 
> I'm still feeling around the characters and how I want them to develop, but I'm happy to say I finally decided on a direction and I'm pretty excited to write the next chapters!
> 
> Let me know what you think of the chapter!
> 
> As always, any form of feedback (kudos/comments/bookmarks) is greatly appreciated! 
> 
> Special thanks to Drez for reading through this for me and putting up with my usual indecisive self :)


	5. got guns hidden under our petticoats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone gets a little break from all the stress
> 
> AKA an excuse for me to insert a little humor into this story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> Sorry for the late update, but I've had a lot of tests lately (just finished one a few minutes ago actually) and I have my finals next week so I figured I should just post whenever I get some free time
> 
> So this chapter has nothing significant going on, at least plotwise, but a lot for establishing relationships/friendships/blah
> 
> This chapter's relatively short but that's because I'll be posting the rest tomorrow! So watch out for that :)
> 
> This is probably my favorite chapter so far so I hope you like it!

"Thanks for coming again, Mako." Asami said sincerely, careful not to spill the coffee she balanced in both hands as she sat down on the couch beside Mako.

She handed him the warm cup of coffee she just brewed, urging him to sit up straighter. She didn't want any stains on her prized couch.

He took the cup from her gratefully, his rolling eyes visible from over the edge of the cup as he took a sip, "At the rate I keep coming here, I might as well live here," he noted, giving her a teasing smile.

"Why else do you think I gave you your own key?" Asami said before taking a sip of her own from her cup, letting out a satisfied hum as the warmth spread through her.

Mako shrugged, "Maybe because you find my presence comforting and you'd have me anytime," he stated matter-of-factly, his tone serious despite the amused look he gave her.

"Or maybe," she drawled as she leaned over and picked up his now-empty cup from his hands, "I'm tired of constantly answering the door for you," she deadpanned as she headed towards the kitchen to refill their cups, but not before sticking her tongue out like a petty 10-year-old.

She didn't expect to be able to sleep after the dream and Mako knew that by experience. Asami recalled the first time she asked him to come over after a particularly bad dream. She had felt bad about waking Mako—having woken him up in the middle of the night—but the boy was quick to shut her down, telling her he wanted to be there. It took a while for her to accept that he was in fact okay with the arrangement, but she had eventually warmed up to the idea.

Asami never told him the details of her dreams and she knew he was curious to know. A part of her told her she owed him at least that, but her dreams felt like her own little secret, as if telling him would ruin it somehow. So she never talked about it and she was grateful Mako had never decided to pry.

Relaxing on her couch, drinking coffee, talking about everything and nothing—more importantly, not her dreams—had become tradition for them. Asami honestly didn't think she would be where she was today without Mako. He was like the brother she never had.

Asami entered the living room once she had refilled their mugs, seeing the boy holding the ice pack she had given him earlier to his face. She felt a pang of guilt and regret at the sight. Gingerly setting down the cups on the coffee table in front of the couch, she stood in front of Mako awkwardly, suddenly not feeling so comfortable.

"What's wrong?" he asked her once he noticed her sudden change in behavior.

Asami didn't respond. She just waved a hand in front of her, indicating his physical condition. Granted, he didn't look as bad now. The swelling on his face had gone down, his nose didn't seem to be broken though Asami could tell it would bruise, he didn't have a black eye despite her earlier speculations, his bruised skin darker at some parts of his face where Korra's hits were particularly strong.

Asami couldn't even bring herself to blame the girl fully for Mako's current condition, the image of herself deliberately hurting him too vivid in her mind. She glanced at the arm she hurt to protect Korra.

"How's your arm?" she said simply, but the look of recognition on Mako's face told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"It's fine, Asami. I'm not even mad, I swear," he said, quick to reassure her, "You just wanted to stop the fight, so I get it."

 _No, you don't,_ she wanted to say to him, _You don't get it because I myself don't understand why I did that, why I felt the need to protect her, a complete stranger. You don't get it because at that time, I didn't care if I had to hurt you to protect her._

Asami wanted to let it out because she needed someone else to know, someone else to help her understand why she felt that way. It was on the tip of her tongue, practically begging to escape her lips.

But it didn't. No, she wasn't ready to have her loyalties questioned for someone so trivial in her life. Talking about it would only make it a big deal. Asami had more important things to deal with.

So she kept her mouth shut and allowed the lie Mako believed to comfort her.

Asami disgusted herself.

 

* * *

 

The sun was well above the horizon by the time the she and Mako arrived in Zaofu. Asami stepped out of her 1967 Corvette and closed the door behind her. Despite the fact that she's had the car for almost two years now, she still couldn't get over the convertible's sleek black design, the way the sun brought out the discreet maroon hint on the hood.

Saying Asami loved the car would be a huge understatement. Her friends used to tease her whenever she referred to it as "her baby", breaking down to tears and laughter . She assumed she had the right to call it that since it basically was her child, considering how she had assembled the car herself. Her friends weren't the type to let her get off that easily but they knew she valued the car over her life, so they left her weird fetish—they insisted on calling it that despite her many protests—alone.

So when she heard what sounded like a car door bang harshly, she immediately jumped to conclusions. Asami turned toward the source of the sound so fast she was surprised it didn't give her whiplash.

"Mako oh my fucking god I'm going to kill you—" she all but bellowed before the boy cut her off.

"Jesus Christ, your car is fine. The sound came from two cars down for fuck's sake," he managed to say in one breath, placating her before it got out hand—Asami was just about ready to flip shit and he knew it.

She barely managed to keep herself from rounding the car to check Mako's side for any scratches and focus her gaze on the area he pointed out. The person seemingly responsible for the sound was already walking away, but Asami recognized the car they came from. It was the same Jeep that was in front of her home after all.

At the corner of her eye, Asami could see Mako had followed her eyes and was currently scrutinizing the distant figure entering the school doors. The look on his face told her he had come to the same conclusions.

"You never told me why she was in your house," he said, his expression unreadable as he stared after the retreating figure. She didn't have to be able to read minds to know who Mako was talking about.

Asami shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, she came to apologize to me for—" she started, thinking nothing of it before she was abruptly cut off.

"Wait, she apologized to you?" he scoffed, staring at Asami in disbelief. She couldn't help but notice once again the bruises on his face, a visual reminder of what she did.  
She knew she didn't inflict them herself, but she still felt like it was her fault somehow.

The guilt and regret she felt earlier surged back and suddenly she found it difficult to hold Mako's gaze. She focused on anything but the boy in front of her and pursed her lips, afraid of what words might slip. Mako seemed to finally take in what he said, realization dawning on his face.

"No, fuck—that came out wrong." he ran a hand through his dark hair before going around the car to stand in front of her.

The proximity left her no choice but to look at him, seeing him shift from one foot to the other. He was blaming himself again. "It's fine Mako—"

"Wait, let me explain myself," he interrupted, "It doesn't matter to me, okay? I don't feel like she needs to apologize to me for anything because I want to be the mature one here, because I don't care about her."

He paused, his eyes gentle as they studied her, "But I get the feeling that you do."

That one sentence was enough to knock the wind out of her lungs. It was one thing to think it, but it was a whole different story when someone else notices she had taken a rather involuntary and overwhelming interest in a stranger.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but shut it once she realized she had no idea what to say. She felt the need to explain herself, or maybe protest. But no words came to mind and she was left feeling more confused than she was before.

She sighed and looked at the sky as if it held the answer. It didn't.

"It doesn't make any sense." Asami said finally, surprising herself with how defeated she sounded.

Mako dipped his head once in a nod, as if taking her vague response as an affirmation. How he seemed to understand was beyond her. She didn't try to protest this time, knowing it was pointless. At least until she knew the answers to her own questions.

"Maybe it doesn't now, but you'll figure it out." he reassured,

The shrill of the bell sliced through the silence between them, snapping them both back to reality. Asami gave Mako a small smile, throwing her thumb back to point at the main building, "Let's get going before we're late, yeah?"

Mako looked like he wanted to say more, chewing on the inside of his cheek before letting out a sigh. Asami could almost see the gears turning in his head. Then almost hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder gently, making the girl look up at him.

"Just be careful, okay?"

He didn't need to clarify for Asami to know what he meant. She nodded and the two proceeded to walk silently toward the campus. With nothing more than a wave and a promise to see the other soon, the two separated and rushed towards their respective destinations.

Mako's words lingered in her mind as Asami wandered the school halls alone. A part of her wanted to believe Mako was just being overprotective and she had no reason to be careful. Asami believed she knew her limits and she abided by a set of rules so she doesn't get hurt.

But then Mako always knew Asami better than herself.

 

* * *

 

 

Korra was late. Again.

She had been in Zaofu for almost a week now and not once did she break her streak of showing up late for class.

The first subject supposedly started around 15 minutes ago, she guessed. Something like that. She honestly would've gotten there sooner if she was rushing, but her next class was _Math_ —the mere thought was enough to make her shiver. She decided why not make the most out of her time since she was late either way?

Unfortunately, that small pleasure she allowed herself couldn't last forever much to her disappointment. Sooner than she would've liked, she was standing a few steps away from what she believed was the door to her class.

She was in the middle of contemplating on skipping the class entirely when a man's head popped out from the doorway, nearly making Korra jump out of her skin.

"I knew I heard someone coming!" the man practically shouted—really, was there a need to shout—at her. Korra may or may not have needed to step back a little just to adjust to the man's volume.

Korra examined the rather pompous man—fancy clothes and a mustache to match—and she considered that maybe this man wasn't the professor she was looking for, or if he was even a professor at that.

"Excuse me, sir—" she started to ask, only to be cut off by a hand that was too close to her face for comfort.

"Please," the man said, placing a hand on top of his polka dot tie, "Call me Your Highness," he said in a humble tone, giving her a modest smile.

Korra was thinking she and this man were thinking of completely different kinds of high, but she was too confused to even argue, "Uh—okay, Your Highness," she rolled it around on her tongue, receiving an encouraging nod from the odd man.

 _Just roll with it, Korra_.

"I was just wondering where the Math class was? The one under Mr. Varrick?" she said, starting out normally but she grew uneasy when the man started to step closer to her.

The man's wide spectrum of smiles was gone in a matter of seconds. The look he was giving her now made her think he was staring at her soul, his face expressionless as he stood just inches away from her. Korra felt the urge to take a step back, but she felt like this man was a minefield—one wrong move and then boom.

So she stood her ground for what felt like minutes, which probably was just seconds since she couldn't hold her breath for that long without passing out. Just a little more, Korra—

"Congratulations!" the man suddenly exclaimed, making Korra jump, "You have proven yourself worthy to be in my class!" he proclaimed, grabbing her hand and shaking it with vigor.

"What—" before she could even express her confusion, the man grabbed her by the shoulders and basically shoved her through the doorway.

Korra was prepared for the momentum and she stumbled, tripping over her feet and her hands instinctively shot in front of her to stop the fall. She would've landed face first on the floor if not for the strong hands that were suddenly there to catch her. She opened her eyes to see that she hadn't felt the pain because she didn't hit the floor, and not because she messed up her face so badly that she somehow paralyzed it.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. She happened to like her face.

"You okay there?" a boy's voice said from behind her. She assumed it belonged to the person whose hands were on her at the moment. She gripped the hands to support herself as she attempted to regain her balance, shooting a grateful look at the boy. She noticed his strength didn't really match his gentle green eyes.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just processing that my professor almost killed me." she said, throwing a haughty look at the suspect, who just shrugged and proceeded to bother his other students.

Turned out Math class wouldn't be as boring as she thought, considering how she'd have to make sure she lived till the end of the period.

"Don't worry about Varrick, he's harmless," the boy said. The object of their conversation seemed to decide that it was a good idea to attempt a handstand on top of his desk. Why the man felt the need to do so remained a mystery to her.

She pointed at Varrick, making the boy watch as well. "Not sure I agree with you there, considering how I almost landed on my face and how he's about to,"

Then, as if on cue, she heard a loud crash and an "I'm alright!" followed soon after, making both Korra and the boy burst into laughter. The boy flashed a smile at Korra and she couldn't help the returning smile that fought its way to her lips.

"I'm Bolin, by the way." he said as he stuck out a hand, the smile on his face never faltering.

Korra took the hand in her own, her smile only growing more genuine, "Korra."

"Straight to the point, huh? I like that in a woman." he said in a feeble attempt to flirt with her, the wink he gave looking more like a facial twitch. She laughed, but he didn't have to know that it was _at_  him.

"So is he always this eccentric?" she asked, turning to observe the professor. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't amusing.

The man was holding a saw in his hand now and calling for someone named Zhu Li. The bespectacled woman that came forward looked like this was a regular occurrence, which she should find really disturbing. Not wanting to see what happens next, a Korra quickly returned her attention to the boy in front of her.

Bolin seemed unfazed by the scene, only shrugging at Korra, "I have a theory that he chugs 10 gallons of coffee each hour but I don't think that's possible without him dying of heart failure." he mused almost to himself, tapping his chin as if he was wondering what he said was scientifically proven.

Korra laughed in spite of herself. The boy seemed so innocent and extremely down-to-earth, not to mention he got this far into the conversation without Korra thinking about killing him yet—she was beginning to like him already.

He waved a hand as if to dismiss his thoughts and flashed her another smile, "Eh, you'll get used to it. Now come on," he said, moving towards one of the unoccupied seats, "Go on and grab a chair before Varrick glues you to one."

Korra began to laugh at the boy's words but her laughter trailed off when she registered the serious look on his face.

"Wait, really?" she asked, astounded. She stared at him in disbelief for so long that he had to come back and grab her by the shoulders.

"Lesson number one for Math class," he said as he walked them toward the seats, "Never underestimate the Math teacher."

The muscular boy with a kind face nudged her to take the seat beside him and she didn't protest. She opened her mouth to reply but instead of words, a squeak made its way past her lips when she felt claws latch on to her and something scurry up her back. Korra jumped out of her chair and her foot managed to get caught in something, making her stumble and fall back against someone's chest.

Hands steadied her from behind—that's been happening too much lately—and she thanked the person absentmindedly. She didn't pay much attention to anything else, too busy shooting daggers at the guffawing boy, doubled over in laughter in front of her.

A red blur ran up Bolin's body and perched on his shoulder, the animal there what Korra assumed was the object of her terror. She wondered if the school actually allowed pets in campus but she got the feeling that Bolin wouldn't let the rules stop him from bringing the rodent even if it did prevent him from doing so.

Bolin was only now recovering from his laughter, "Oh my god," he managed to say between breaths, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," wiping away the tears that formed in his eyes before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"We all know you aren't actually sorry," a voice spoke up from behind her, "Though I have to admit the look on her face was worth it,"

Korra had completely forgotten about Savior #2, turning around to see dark green eyes—okay, what is up with that color in this place?—smiling mischievously at her.

Bolin looked up from where he was previously petting the wretched squirrel thing in his hands, his eyes going wide with amusement, "Did you see how big her eyes were? I thought her eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets! And oh my god—that sound she made?" he exclaimed, pointing at the animal, "Pabu made her sound like a fucking squeaky toy—"

"I'm going to shove a squeaky toy up your ass if you don't shut up." Korra interrupted and the boy shut his mouth so quickly, she was surprised he didn't bite off a chunk of his tongue.

The girl behind her gave a loud laugh. Korra looked at her and saw that the girl was looking at her with amusement, "And here I thought pretty girl here was shy," _Wait, did she just call me pretty—_

The green eyed girl interrupted her thoughts, "Ignore that idiot, he thinks he's funny no matter how hard I try to convince him he's not," she stated plainly, making Bolin place a hand on his chest, narrowing his eyes and mouthing how dare you at her. The girl ignored him and proceeded to introduce herself.

"I'm the hot one between me and that gorilla over there," she nodded her head toward Bolin's direction before giving her a subtle wink, "But you can call me Kuvira."

 _It's like talking to a goddamn mirror,_ Korra mused to herself, _Do I sound that much like a douchebag?_

Bolin immediately slid in and slung an arm around Kuvira's shoulders, "I bet you disagree, don't you Korra," he said, waggling his eyebrows and making kissy noises at her.

Kuvira shoved him off her playfully, "Stop trying to be sexy, Bo. It's not working,"

She ignored the insulted look on his face and continued, "I'm telling you for your own good, because we both know she's going to say it's me." she said in a mock serious tone before giving Korra a winning smile.

The blue-eyed girl rolled her eyes at the two, a small smile forming on her face in amusement, "As much as I am moved by this professional debate, how about I leave you guys to decide on it yourselves?"

"Wait, wait—I have an idea!" Bolin spoke up before she could even turn, giving both girls a knowing smile, "Come on, we need the field for this," he said, grabbing Korra's hand and started to lead them outside.

Korra heard Kuvira groan from beside her and she blinked at the rapid turn of events, pulling back slightly, "Wait where are we going?" she asked with some hesitation, still standing by the doorway.

Bolin stared at her like she just asked if earth existed, "To the field...?" he said slowly, certain he already mentioned it.

Korra's eyebrows raised in realization, "Oh you meant that literally."

Thankfully, Kuvira proceeded to explain since the boy clearly wasn't able to, "Bolin here thinks everything can be solved by playing football,"

The boy brightened at the mention of the sport and he started to jump in place excitedly, "Yes yes! Whoever wins can call themselves the hottest of them all!" he announced before stepping closer to Korra to whisper, "It's totally me though,"

Korra ignored him and looked back inside the class where the professor was doing god-knows-what with a golf club, "But don't we have to stay for class?"

Korra never considered herself a stickler for rules, but this was her first class that day and she just moved here—not to mention here unbreakable chain of coming in late.

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at her, "Do you actually think we'll be learning anything in this class?"

The trio turned to see that the man was suddenly in the middle of making a baking soda volcano, which would've been relatively normal if not for the volcano being taller than the average man. Also it looked just about ready to erupt.

"Alright let's go." Korra decided quickly, hastily pushing the two out of the door herself. She wasn't too eager to be covered in fake volcano vomit this early in the morning.

"Yes! This will be epic!" Bolin cheered as he threw his arms wide at his sides, walking backwards to show his excitement as he led the way.

"To compete for milady's favor," he started in a regal voice, throwing a wink in Korra's direction.

"A brave but foolish opponent will challenge the champion," he flexed his arms for show, clearly implying he was the champion. Kuvira looked ready to smack him.

"The battle shall not end until only one remains; a battle to the death!" he proclaimed, his loud voice echoing across the empty halls.

Korra rolled her eyes and patted the eager boy's head, "How about best of three?"

Bolin shrugged, "Yeah that works too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still singing Chocolate by The 1975 (see: chapter title)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked this one! I really enjoyed writing it! Bolin's dialogue is just so fun to write haha
> 
> Let me know what you think of the chapter!
> 
> As always, any form of feedback (kudos/comments/bookmarks) is greatly appreciated! I take each one to heart and it pushes me to really put all my efforts into writing this for you guys! :)
> 
> Shoutout to Drez my boi for putting up with me haha :P
> 
> Thanks for reading guys! :)


	6. I try to refrain but you're stuck in my brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get a little complicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as promised here's the next chapter!
> 
> I hope you like it! :)
> 
> (sorry in advance for any typos/grammatical errors/the like. Most of this wasn't read through but I'll edit it later on!)

"How do you feel about a baking soda volcano?"

Asami faltered in her step, stopping completely to look at the girl beside her curiously, "At a party?"

Opal shrugged, her lower lip jutted out in thought, "Why not?"

Asami stared at the other girl in confusion, "Where is this even coming from?"

The short-haired girl paused to think, "I honestly don't know..." she trailed off.

Asami shook her head at her odd friend and proceeded to continue their trek. The two girls had just come from yet another student council meeting to discuss their plans for the start of the school year. Opal was the one to pitch in the idea of a party—of course—and Asami volunteered to help her make it happen since they both knew Opal wasn't exactly the most organized person. Besides, whatever they worked on together always ended up great so they learned to depend on each other.

They've been roaming the school with no destination in mind, having been dismissed by Suyin about half an hour earlier than expected. Asami had stayed behind for a while—Opal decided to wait outside the council room to give them some space—wanting to make sure the Principal was holding up okay. Almost a week had passed since the incident in Su's office with Korra.

Asami liked to believe that she had handled Korra's abrasive—okay, maybe abrasive was a bit of an understatement—but she remembered overhearing their conversation in the office, or more specifically, overhearing Su. Asami can say for sure that she has never heard the older woman sound so hurt and defeated.

Once Asami brought the topic up, Su had assured her that she was fine and was used to the constant rebellion of their generation. Though not thoroughly convinced, Asami conceded since it was in fact none of her business.

Upon seeing the worry so obviously eating away at Asami, Opal had insisted on walking around campus, saying that the sun was perfect that day and they should make the most of it.

 _Maybe we'll be inspired to come up with something amazing for the party,_ Opal had said, _Also I need to maintain my tan._

Asami hid a knowing smile. Her friend wasn't too keen on openly expressing affection, but everyone knew she was extremely protective and only wanted the best for her friends nonetheless. Asami was grateful to have the girl in her life.

The comfortable silence was suddenly broken by a phone, the text tone a familiar string of quacking that Opal downloaded just because she knew Asami despised it. Thankfully, Asami didn't have to suffer for too long since Opal quickly retrieved her phone from her pocket.

In the next few moments, Opal herself sounded like a bird in Asami's opinion—practically squawking as she read the message—but Opal didn't have to know she thought that. What she doesn't know can't hurt her after all.

"Let me guess," Asami said, knowing that only one person can draw that reaction out of the girl, "Bolin texted you."

She was wrong to think she would get words as a reply as she received another squeal. Asami loved Opal, but it took a lot of willpower to not just walk away at that moment.

So Asami settled for a heavy sigh, "Are you planning to tell me or should I just leave you to your screaming?"

The shorter girl shot a glare at her—well at least it got her to stop jumping, Asami thought to herself—and huffed in annoyance, "I was going to, you know—you don't have to be so mean," Opal pouted before muttering to herself, "And I wasn't screaming,"

Asami rolled her eyes, "Yes you were, my ears are still ringing by the way." she deadpanned, ignoring yet another glare sent her way, "So what did he say?"

She got to witness Opal's face go from annoyed to giddy in a blink of an eye. Asami had just dodged an Opal shaped bullet and she knew it. Bringing up Bolin was the only way Asami could escape the girl's wrath.

Completely forgetting that she was annoyed with Asami, Opal gave her a dreamy smile, "He says he's at the field and I should come over," she said before dropping her voice, "If I wanted some _company_ , he says." Opal gave her a knowing smile, waggling her eyebrows.

Asami shook her head at the girl, "Have I ever told you that you're a huge perv?"

Opal had the audacity to look affronted, "I would never—those were his exact words!" she sputtered. Asami just raised an eyebrow at her.

The shorter girl relented, "Okay, _maybe_ he meant it in a different way." she paused to shoot Asami a flirtatious wink, "But I think he'll like what I have in mind _much_ more."

Asami made a convincing show of fake vomiting, earning herself a slap on the arm.

"Okay okay fine!" the taller girl surrendered, rubbing the spot Opal just hit, "Though I have to let you know," she paused, placing a hand on Opal's shoulder, "I want you to know that love you no matter what, even if you turned out to be a sex crazed monster."

"I am not!" Opal exclaimed, punctuating each word with a slap.

Asami shrugged, "If you say so," she relented before stretching her abused arm, "And geez, will you stop hitting me? Unless you're into that, in that case I'll be sure to let Bolin know—"

"Do it and I'll murder you in your sleep, Asami Sato."

 

* * *

 

 _His form is all wrong,_ Korra thought to herself.

She has been observing the game play out from the bench for the past five minutes and Korra was scrutinizing it with an expert eye from the start.

Kuvira was a fine player, really good actually—maybe even as good as herself, but you'll never catch Korra admitting that out loud.

The green-eyed girl played with accuracy—her steps sure as she glided across the grass effortlessly, nimble on her feet but aggressive when she strikes. Every shot she made hit its mark, the ball spinning against the net due to the momentum every time.

Bolin was practically defenseless against the girl, failing to block her shots and unable to even get within 10 feet from the goal. Korra could say it was because he was against Kuvira, but she could see the little mistakes in the way he played.

He was too stiff, his feet were too planted on the ground and he kept using brute force in his strikes, making the ball go way off track. Korra's been itching to speak up about it, but she reminded herself that she just met these people and wouldn't want to come off as a know-it-all. She happened to like being around these two and she wouldn't want to ruin that.

But when she saw the boy angle his body the wrong way—something so easily corrected—she couldn't help herself.

"Hey Bolin!" she shouted before she could bite back her tongue.

He straightened from his crouched stance he used when he defended—or what liked to call defending—and turned toward Korra's direction, "Yeah?"

She bit her lip. She could just wave it off as nothing but she figured it was too late now that she got his attention.

Before she could change her mind about it, she jogged up to where Bolin stood. The boy looked at her with a confused expression, which she addressed with a wave of her hand, "It's none of my business, but I noticed that there are some correctable things in the way you play."

Bolin stared at her for a moment before guffawing, throwing his head back in laughter and slapping his knee. Korra crossed her arms and waited for the boy to finish. She felt a spike of annoyance as she was being laughed at but she held it back.

"You," Bolin pointed at her, "think you could teach _me_?" pointing at himself before pausing to allow her to respond.

Korra only managed to give a short nod before Bolin burst into laughter once again. Her pride raised its ugly head and she clenched her jaw to stop herself from saying anything stupid. She balled her hands into fists but kept them out of sight—she was going to take the high road on this one.

She gave another nod as she watched the boy try to reign in his laughter, "Yes I do think I could teach you a few things because there are flaws in your form."

Her words felt restricted and formal, the way they were whenever Korra avoided a fistfight. "You're too solid on your feet and you use your strength exceedingly, which would've been perfect if you were playing _American_ football."

Bolin looked at her incredulously before giving an is she serious look to Kuvira, who jogged over since they were taking too long. Kuvira proceeded to say nothing, choosing to let it play out without getting involved. _Smart choice,_ Korra thought.

The boy sighed before slinging an arm around Korra's shoulder, completely oblivious to the tension running beneath her skin.

"Korra," _Oh my god he sounds like he's gonna give me The Talk—_

"I know we just met but like you, I really do. I think you're awesome and fun and stuff but you obviously don't know who you're talking to," he said in a rather condescending manner.

She was practically shaking with barely contained fury and it took everything in her not to just smack him. Hard. "Who am I talking to then?" she decided to humor him just to see where this goes.

He shook her head at her like he was speaking to a child, "Only the best goalie in campus," he said with a confident smirk, "So if there's going to be anyone learning here, it's gonna be you."

_Okay, that's it._

Korra was going to give this boy a taste of his own medicine, "Okay, how about you could give me a few pointers for improvement?"

Bolin leaned back, seemingly satisfied with the arrangement. She held back a growl, just a little more Korra, she told herself.

Kuvira—who has been doing nothing more than spectate—tossed her the ball and gave Korra a what are you up to look. Korra did nothing but shoot her a discreet wink.

Bolin walked over to the goal and positioned himself, "Show me what you got."

Five seconds later, a ball zipped past him, just barely grazing his ear and cleanly hit the net. Bolin blinked, he didn't even see the girl move, only the ball sailing through the air in a smooth curve. He stared at Korra before shooting an incredulous look at Kuvira. Even the green-eyed girl looked shocked.

"How did you—" he sputtered, one hand cupping the friction burn on his ear and the other alternating between pointing at the girl and the ball.

Kuvira on the other hand was significantly more coherent, "I've never seen a curve shot done at that angle, at least not to that extent."

Korra shrugged nonchalantly, "I play football but it's not really my thing ya know? I could be better," she turned toward the sound of choking, "So Bolin, did you see anything I could improve on?"

"How about slowing down _just a bit_ so I can actually see what you're doing?"

 

* * *

 

By the time Asami and Opal reached the field, the sun was scorching and a game was already in progress between Bolin and two other girls.

After some squinting against the light blinding her, Asami saw Kuvira's raven black hair but she still couldn't figure out who the other girl was, being the person standing farthest from her.

Asami brushed it off, mainly because she assumed it was one of Bolin's many friends but also because the said boy was jogging over to her and Opal by the benches.

"Hey, you came! Though honestly I didn't think you would." Bolin said after he gave Asami a smile and shot a wink at Opal. The boy seemed oblivious to the shorter girl's swooning.

Asami returned his smile, "Opal literally didn't give me a choice on the matter so I'm basically here as her hostage," she said casually with a light shrug.

"Don't be ridiculous, Asami." Opal butt it before the girl could say more, nudging Asami's side with her elbow hard, "I just think she needs as much company as she could get, having lost her dog recently and all," she said before patting Asami's shoulder awkwardly.

Subtle, Opal. _Real_ subtle.

The eyes he gave her looked very much like what her imaginary-dead-dog's eyes would look like. "What was it's name?" Bolin asked solemnly, somehow believing the lie—Asami was sure it was because of an interference by some magical force from the cosmos.

Before Asami could even open her mouth, Opal blurted, "Snoopy!"

Asami fought the urge to smack herself on the face.

For reasons still unknown, Bolin believed Opal. The boy wrapped Asami in a tight hug and rubbed her back comfortingly, "I'm so sorry, Sams. I know you miss him, but he's in a better place now."

She shot Opal a nasty look from over Bolin's massive shoulder. The shorter girl clasped her hands together, "Please," she mouthed.

Asami rolled her eyes and released a sigh, one that could be misinterpreted as a sad one instead of exasperated. She allowed herself to sink into the large boy's embrace, nodding slightly, "Yeah you're right and I think I'll be okay."

Bolin leaned back, slightly wide eyed, "Oh no, I'm not asking you to move on so quickly!" he said as he held her shoulders, shaking her lightly. Asami grew a little disoriented with the back and forth motion but forced herself to pay attention to the boy's words.

"It's okay to mourn, you know," Bolin said sagely, "It's healthy to grieve and let yourself feel the loss you experienced. It takes time and it will only end up worse if you try to rush it. When the time comes, when you really are ready, moving on will come naturally and—"

"Alright, Gandhi. Time to throw in that robe of yours and leave them alone."

She almost sagged with relief. Thank god for Kuvira, the only person who had the guts to shut down sweet old Bolin. They all loved him, but even he knows they have a limit despite how long he could go talking.

Asami glanced at the direction of the voice and saw Kuvira heading towards them, leaving the stranger she was with to their own devices. She gave the girl a grateful look before gently peeling away from Bolin as the boy explained, "Asami just lost her dog and I'm only trying to help,"

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at that, "Asami never had a do—"

"Donut!" Opal interrupted,

Upon receiving confused expressions from them all, Opal added hastily, "She's been craving for one all morning."

Kuvira opened her mouth—most likely to argue—but Opal stopped her by grabbing Bolin by the arm and started to pull him away from them quickly.

"Enough chitchat! We're talking all by ourselves here and leaving that girl all alone—we mustn't be rude!" Apparently Opal had the tendency to sound like Mrs. Poppins when she was nervous.

Asami shook her head at her friend for what felt like the hundredth time that day and proceeded to follow the two with Kuvira trailing after her.

Bolin was already talking about something in his usual animated way with Opal listening attentively. Asami looked over her shoulder and saw that Kuvira was on her phone, staring down at it with her eyebrows drawn together. She learned a long time ago not to disturb the girl whenever she was clearly unavailable. Asami would rather not have to repeat that time.

With nothing better to do, Asami allowed her eyes to roam her surroundings and found them landing on the girl now a few feet in front of them. The girl was dribbling the football, using both feet to keep it up in the air. Her short brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and Asami could see beads of sweat trickling down her neck under the scorching sun. Now that Asami was closer and paying more attention, she realized the girl seemed familiar but paid it no mind.

But when her eyes trailed downward and caught sight of a familiar red string around the girl's wrist, Asami whipped around and made Kuvira stop in her tracks.

"You didn't tell me you were with Korra." she said in a hushed voice as to not be overheard, but the hint of anger in her tone was evident.

Kuvira looked up slowly from her phone. Her jaw visibly clenched, the girl clearly annoyed with being disturbed, "Was there a need to tell you?"

"Yes!" Asami said as if it should be obvious, her voice raising a little.

Kuvira merely cocked her head to the side, studying her with those piercing green eyes, "And why is that, Asami?"

That made Asami blink. Why did it matter? Why was she so angry? At Kuvira, of all people?

"Because—" she started, "Because she's the reason why Mako's messed up and here she is, hanging out with his brother!" she managed to say. While the excuse was valid, it still felt pathetic.

Kuvira noticed, "Mako already moved on. Bolin just found out and he's fine." she stated calmly, "So I'm going to ask you again, Asami—why was there a need to tell you?"

Asami's shoulders hunched defensively before slumping in defeat. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She honestly wanted the answer herself.

Kuvira's eyes softened and she gave her a pitiful look. She placed a hand on Asami's shoulder gently before squeezing, "Think about it," Kuvira said before stepping past her to walk toward their friends.

Asami turned around and saw that her group of friends were busy coming up with plans for the day, the little confrontation had gone by unnoticed. At least that was what Asami thought, until she noticed Korra watching her. Asami may be imagining things, but she thought she saw a hint of alarm in the other girl's eyes.

The memory of their last encounter surged up to the front of her mind as she walked up to the group. Asami couldn't help but smile at the girl.

But her smile wavered before it even got the chance to fully form, faltering when Asami saw Korra suddenly look away, seemingly deliberate at that.

Asami would be lying if she said she wasn't even a little bit hurt by Korra's sudden indifference. Despite their rough start, Asami liked to believe they had sorted it out when the girl appeared on her doorstep about a week ago.

I'd really like to start again. I would like to earn your trust.

Asami was dumbfounded. A part of her started to feel uncertain as doubt spread through her like a plague. Perhaps Asami acted too naive—wanting a friendship when the other girl didn't.

Nonetheless, Asami stood right in front of Korra, making it nearly impossible for the girl to avoid her gaze. The action was a little immature, yes. But Asami needed a way to make sure she was wrong to doubt.

But that feeling of uncertainty only grew as Asami stood silently among the group, not even bothering to listen to the others as they spoke. She only kept her gaze on Korra, who avoided hers like her life depended on it.

Asami gave up, suppressing a huff of disbelief. Korra was acting like a stranger just when Asami had thought the two of them were getting somewhere relatively friendly. A part of her couldn't help but wonder if she did anything wrong—anything that might've pushed the girl away—but she came up with nothing.

"—right Asami?" a voice interrupted her thoughts and Asami looked up to find everyone's eyes on her—including the blue eyes that stood out among the green. Asami felt a surge of petty satisfaction for getting the girl to look at her.

But that moment was short lived when Asami realized that she was being addressed. She shook her head, tearing her eyes off Korra and onto Opal, who she believed was the one that spoke, "Sorry, I didn't catch what you said,"

Everyone gave her odd looks, except for Kuvira—who only raised an arched eyebrow knowingly. But Asami ignored everything else when she saw Korra avert her eyes, looking away so quickly like she hadn't realized she was staring.

Saying Korra's behavior around her was confusing was an understatement.

Opal cleared her throat, eyes flicking between Asami and Korra obviously sensing something was up, "I was saying," she said carefully, "You promised you'll be coming with us the next time we hang out,"

Asami didn't miss the panic flash in Korra's eyes once again.

"Ooh that's perfect!" Bolin—clearly oblivious to the tension running within the group—said excitedly, "Korra agreed to come and it's only right that all of us—"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Korra suddenly interrupted and Asami felt something stab her chest.

Everyone turned to look at the blue-eyed girl, but this time it was Asami's turn to look away.

So she really was the reason Korra was acting indifferent all of a sudden. Asami didn't know what she did but Korra acted as if she couldn't stand her presence.

It shouldn't matter to Asami.

It shouldn't get to her.

It shouldn't hurt as much as it did.

 

* * *

 

Korra almost smacked herself in front of them, _You couldn't have made it more obvious could you?_ she thought to herself.

"But you said you'll be coming with us," Bolin said with a slight pout on his face.

She was well aware of everyone's eyes on her but Asami stood out like a sore thumb—completely avoiding her gaze. Korra felt a pang of guilt blossom in her chest but she smothered it before it grew.

She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "Yeah I just remembered I had some other stuff to do," she said rather vaguely.

She couldn't be expected to come up with an excuse on the spot, especially when her mind was screaming cowardcowardcoward.

Opal gave her a reassuring smile, "If you're worried about not fitting in, I can tell you that you're going to be just fine."

"Yeah, it feels like we didn't just meet you today." Bolin added eagerly. Even Kuvira nodded in agreement.

Despite everything, a small part of Korra was waiting for Asami—to speak up, to agree, to smile at her, to even _look_  at her—and her heart ached a little when none of it came. Why it mattered so much to Korra, she'll never know.

"I really wish I could, but something came up." Korra lied through her teeth.

She really liked them and she wished she could go, but she didn't think she could, not right now at least.

"But maybe I could tag along some other time?" she amended, "I promise I'll go—"

"I wouldn't hold her to that promise if I were you, Bo." Asami spoke up suddenly, looking at Bolin, still avoiding Korra's eyes.

Korra was confused and a little shocked. She had no idea where Asami was coming from and no one—especially not Korra—missed the hostility in the green-eyed girl's voice.

"She'll only get your hopes up before she rips the rug right from under you." she said indifferently, "Promises don't mean anything to her, anyway."

Asami finally met her eyes and then suddenly Korra knew exactly what the girl was talking about.

_I'd really like to start again. I would like to earn your trust._

The reminder nearly knocked the wind out of Korra's lungs. Her breath caught in her throat, cutting off any words she might've wanted to say if there were any. She suddenly felt lost.

As if her body was moving on its own accord, she swiftly turned to walk away without so much as a wave in the others' direction.

Her eyes started to well up despite Korra unable to think of any logical for it to.

Her legs felt stiff as she briskly walked away with no destination in mind. Just _away_.

Her ears picked up on a voice—her mind distinctly recognized it as Kuvira's—calling her name, but it didn't matter.

Korra was numb.

She was numb to any feeling.

Numb to everything except for the remnants of the raven haired girl's hurt from her betrayal.

That and the green eyes she felt lingering on her as she walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0 to 100 real quick HAHAHA
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!


	7. Allegiance to the Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Asami realizes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks later and I'm back with a chapter! Sorry I've been really busy with college stuff and life stuff ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> I really liked writing this chapter, but as always, not too confident about it
> 
> Well I'll leave you to it then! :)
> 
> Hope you like it!

_"What have I done to deserve this attempt at murder?"_

_"Don't be so dramatic, I'm just helping you,"_

_"Help me end my life?"_

_"Come on, it's just a bike! It won't bite,"_

_"Probably not, but that, my friend, is the ticket to my slow and painful demise."_

_"Oh my god, will you calm down?"_

_"You're asking me to be calm about dying?"_

_"No one is going to die!"_

_Korra peeled her eyes away from the wretched metal object to give the raven-haired girl beside her a doubtful look, "How are you so sure? We could fall off a cliff and drown in the water below." she said before snapping her attention back at the bike, eyeing it cautiously like it would attack them at any second._

_They were currently standing in the middle of an empty road—miles away from any body of water—and both girls were well aware of that. But Korra ignored that fact to support her argument if it meant she got to stay as far away as possible from the thing that would lead to her death—the death of her ego, at least._

_At some point in the dream—yes, she was well aware that this was a dream—the taller girl had found out about Korra's inability to ride a bike and quickly set out to accomplish her mission. She acted as if Korra was the only 18-year-old that didn't know how to ride a bike._

_The raven had said: One's life is incomplete until the wondrous feeling of rolling around in this quicker means of transportation is felt!_

_Okay, Korra was pretty sure that wasn't exactly what the girl had said, but it might as well be, considering how enthusiastic she was at the prospect of teaching Korra how to ride a bike. But of course Korra wasn't making it easy to be taught._

_The raven-haired girl's mouth open and closed a few times before finally huffing in disbelief. She looked away and Korra thought she had won, but the girl's eyes suddenly lit up before she fixed her gaze back on the shorter girl. Korra didn't like the mischievous glint she saw there—nope, not one bit._

_"So you really don't wanna ride the bike?"_

_"I thought I made that perfectly clear."_

_"And you wanna head back inside?"_

_"At least the couch can't kill me."_

_"And you give up?"_

_"Well I guess but—"_

_"Then I win."_

_That threw Korra off guard, "Wait, what?"_

_The girl shrugged innocently despite the fact that the glint in her eye was still taunting the other girl, "It's just that I've never been able to one-up you on something," the raven-haired girl said before she smiled at Korra, "Looks like you have to catch up with ME now,"_

_"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily." remember when Korra had promised herself that she wasn't going to fall for whatever the raven-haired girl got up her sleeve? Just a minute ago? Yeah, that just went out the window._

_"You did admit that you weren't going to learn..." the girl said in a singsong manner._

_"Well, I've changed my mind." Korra deadpanned with her chin jutted out defiantly._

_"Perfect," the girl said with a toothy smile, and that was when Korra realized she fell right into her trap. But she wasn't going to back down._

_She just never learned, did she?_

 

_\---------------------------_

 

_The air was filled with curses and amused remarks for the next few minutes, not to mention the stink of failure and Korra's wounded ego._

_It felt like Korra's hundredth attempt and all she wanted to do was stop because this was beyond humiliating. If admitting defeat meant she could save whatever was left of her pride, then so be it._

_Korra wobbled on the bike as she crept forward in a near snail's pace, both hands gripping the handles of the bike unnecessarily tight so she didn't tip over. She's had enough of that today._

_She didn't have to look back to see the raven-haired girl biting her lip to hold back her laughter—not like Korra could even allow the possibility of looking back when she was too busy keeping her ass off the ground._

_"The key is to go a little faster!" the girl supplied helpfully from where she was standing in the sidelines, but she couldn't hide the undertone of amusement in her voice. Korra wasn't sure if she was being serious or the girl was only mocking her._

_Nevertheless, Korra didn't know anything about biking so might as well give it a shot right? But as soon as her feet applied what she believed was just a tad more force, she immediately regretted her decision in trusting the girl._

_She had_ severely _underestimated how hard she stepped on the pedal, making the bike lurch forward and pull her along with it. Panic surged within her before she could stop it, resulting in her planting both feet on the ground._

_Or at least she tried to before her shoe caught in the chain, tangling her with the bike as she tumbled to the ground roughly. Pain shot up her arm as she skidded across the pavement, the rough surface breaking the skin there._

_She groaned in both pain and frustration, twisting her foot away from the bike and picking herself off of the ground. After making sure she didn't break or sprain anything, Korra glanced down at her arm and hissed. It didn't look too pretty. She looked up to find the girl running over to her, worry replacing the amusement playing across her features earlier._

_The girl started to fuss over her, checking Korra for anything out of the ordinary, "Are you alright? Okay, stupid question but that fall didn't look too good and—" she cut herself off when she spotted Korra's arm, her eyes widening and her lips parting in shock, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry—"_

_Korra was quick to interrupt her, "Nope, you are not going to blame yourself. It's not your fault," she said firmly, "It was bound to happen, okay?"_

_The girl opened her mouth to protest but Korra beat her to it once again, "It's nothing, see?" she said as she spread her arms wide to emphasize her point, "I'm fine, okay?"_

_The other didn't look convinced, but they both knew Korra wasn't about to give in any time soon so she nodded her acceptance. She glanced at Korra's arm once more, cringing at the sight. Korra didn't blame her—even if she didn't get a chance to properly inspect it, she could tell it looked pretty nasty._

_The girl's eyes flicked back and forth from the wound to Korra's eyes, biting her lip as if to stop herself from speaking but she couldn't last very long as she blurted in one breath, "Are you sure I mean we should go and clean it up and—"_

_"Hey!" Korra shouted, snapping her fingers to get the girl's attention back because she swore she lost the girl at some point, "Come on, I said I was fine!" she laughed in an attempt to relieve some of the tension._

_She held the girl by the shoulders and forced her to meet her eyes, "You gotta believe me and stop worrying," she said seriously. Korra couldn't help but rub her thumb at the crease that formed in between the girl's eyebrows._

_"I'm honestly more worried that I still can't get how that thing works," Korra joked lightly, jerking her thumb back to point at where the bike was still lying on the ground._

_A small, hesitant smile crept across the girl's lips and happiness blossomed in Korra's chest upon seeing the twinkle reignite in the girl's eyes. Korra could always tell how the girl was feeling just by looking at her eyes and she hated it when those emeralds didn't contain the brightness they usually did._

_"And at this rate, I don't think you'll be getting it any time soon," the raven-haired girl teased before she bit her lip once again, this time more thoughtfully than guiltily, "Maybe I could help you?"_

_"Oh, like you helped me earlier?" Korra joked before she could bite back her tongue. She meant to tease the girl lightly, still cautious as to how she would react. Korra hoped she would take it well—she really wanted to put the tension behind them._

_The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes good-naturedly, probably noticing how they were back at shooting each other snide comments rather than earlier's reassuring words. Just like normal._

_"Believe it or not, I actually was trying to help you," the girl stated matter-of-factly. She walked over to where Korra had fallen and picked up the bike, kicking the stand before looking at Korra expectantly._

_"If you say so, kiddo," Korra said as she fell into place beside the girl and the thing that wants her dead, "So what now, sensei?"_

_The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes yet again, an amused smile playing on her lips, "Well I WAS going to say 'completing this task doesn't only require physical strength but the mental as well', but looks like I'll just have to keep that to myself," she joked, "Step one is getting ON the bike you know," the girl said pointedly._

_It was Korra's turn to roll her eyes, "Just because you're teaching me now doesn't mean you have to treat me like an idiot," she mumbled as she climbed onto the bike. Carefully, mind you._

_"I would never," the girl said incredulously with the same twinkle in her eyes before she schooled her features, serious all of a sudden, "Do you trust me?"_

_Korra did a double-take, that had to be the stupidest question she's ever heard, "Of course," she answered automatically._

_A light blush dusted across the girl's cheeks and Korra found it endearing. She took a step back to stand at Korra's side, right behind her shoulder, "Close your eyes,"_

_Okay, now Korra was beyond confused. She snuck a glance at the girl over her shoulder, seeing that she was looking at her seriously with no hint of mischief in her eyes. That only made Korra feel even more at loss, "I'm sure you understand my apprehension," she said cautiously._

_The raven-haired girl raised her eyebrow in question, maybe also in challenge, "I thought you said you trusted me?"_

_"I do, but—" Korra started but she cut herself off when she realized she had no reason to doubt the girl. Korra trusted her more than anyone else, more than herself even. If the girl told her to jump off a cliff, Korra would do it._

_Still, she looked back at the honest emerald eyes staring back at her own before looking down cautiously at the bike._

_The girl could still probably sense her uncertainty, placing her hands on Korra's shoulders lightly, "You can lean on other people too, you know," she said quietly, almost sadly, "Give people a chance to prove you wrong for once,"_

_She licked her lips nervously but she nodded eventually. Hell, she's already fallen too many times to count that day—what's one more? "Okay,"_

_The last thing Korra saw before she forced her eyelids shut was a small, reassuring smile from the girl, then nothing. Not knowing what would happen next was rather unsettling, but the girl asked her to trust her, so she did._

_Korra froze when she felt a hand rest lightly on her stomach, it's opposite most likely gripping the back of her seat if the slight dip she felt was anything to go by._

_"Breathe," she heard the girl say from near her ear. She hadn't even realized she had stopped breathing. She inhaled deeply before exhaling through her mouth in an attempt to calm her nerves._

_"Okay, now I want you to pedal at a moderate speed—not a slow one like what you were doing earlier," Korra started to panic, but the girl was quick to reassure her, "I'll be here the entire time," the girl said, increasing the pressure on Korra's abdomen to prove her point._

_Korra breathed out shakily, "Okay," she said again._

_Slowly, she started to creep forward, gradually adding more force on the pedals until it almost felt—dare she say it—like she was actually biking. She would feel an occasional light tap on her stomach or her back from the hands that rested there as they guided her, but Korra only felt it a few times. Maybe it was just her imagination, but it seemed like it's been a while since the last tap._

_"Now, keep doing what you're doing," the girl spoke up from beside her, Korra's eyes flicking towards the direction of her voice despite the fact that they were still closed, "Open your eyes,"_

_Still pedaling, Korra hesitantly opened her eyes and she almost froze completely when she did. It took everything in her to keep going because the hands that were guiding her suddenly weren't there anymore. She whipped her head to the side to look at the girl beside her, eyes going wide in shock and awe once she realized the raven-haired girl was walking a few steps away from her. Korra looked back down to her feet, the pavement rolling smoothly beneath the wheels, not a single wobble in her balance—she couldn't believe it._

_Korra looked back up at the girl—whose proud grin never faltered—and she couldn't help but repeat her thoughts, "I'm actually doing it," she whispered almost to herself, as if testing how the words rolled off her tongue._

_She looked back down at her feet as if to make sure she was doing it on her own before looking back up again at the emeralds flashing at her, "I'm doing it!" she said louder this time, almost shouting it for the world to hear._

_The raven-haired girl's smile only grew, the corners of her eyes crinkling and even at the most random times, Korra still found it beautiful._

_The girl was saying something—the movement of her lips told Korra that much—but she couldn't find it in herself to pay attention to the words, too focused on the lilt of her voice and the way her green eyes seemed to portray the girl's emotions. Like how earlier Korra could tell the girl was happy and now as she spoke there was alarm—wait, what—_

_Suddenly, the smooth movement of the bike moving underneath her halted harshly, momentum making Korra shoot forward. Luckily, this time Korra was more prepared—having been more cautious since her last fall—and she curled in and safely landed on her back with no limbs broken. No one said it didn't hurt like a bitch though._

_Korra groaned as she lay flat against the pavement, letting her arms flop at her sides. She placed a forearm across her eyes to block out the sun as she let the pain subside. Her ears picked up the sound of steady footsteps and Korra removed her forearm to reveal green eyes hovering looking down on her as the girl knelt behind her head. If her eyes showed alarm before, it was clearly amusement now._

_Korra groaned when she saw the girl was biting back laughter, throwing her forearm back into its place on her face, "Stop laughing at me," she mumbled into the darkness._

_She didn't have to see to know that the girl above her moved to sit beside her head. "Well, I did try warning you. God knows why you didn't hear me, you were looking straight at me," the girl said._

_That's because I was paying too close attention, Korra blushed slightly, but she could always blame that on the heat if the girl noticed. She revealed one eye from behind her forearm and looked up at the girl sitting beside her with her knees pulled close to her chest. Korra didn't miss the knowing smile the girl sent her way._

_She sat up quickly and looked away, hiding a cough behind a fist. The girl merely chuckled and Korra found her blush growing deeper._

_Not quite meeting the girl's eyes, Korra quickly changed the topic, "So..." she started awkwardly, "Can I officially say I know how to ride a bike?"_

_The girl let out a bark of laughter and Korra shot her a glare but found herself following anyways, "How about you learn how to pay attention on the road first, yeah?" she joked, "You insult my teaching skills with all your falling,"_

_Korra waved her off, "It's not your fault I'm accident prone,"_

_The raven-haired girl gave her a thoughtful look, "Maybe not, but it's going to be if you STAY hurt since it's clearly my job to make sure you don't end up hurting yourself too much," she said with a smirk._

_Korra rolled her eyes, "Well, you're not doing a very good job, seeing how I'm still on the floor," she said before snapping her fingers repeatedly, "Come on, chop chop, before a car comes and runs me over," she said as she acted regally, or at least she tried considering how she was sprawled on the pavement._

_It was the raven-haired girl's turn to roll her eyes, standing up and dusting herself off. She merely met Korra's eyes for a moment before she turned on her heel, grabbing the bike off the floor and stalked off._

_Korra scoffed in disbelief before picking herself up and ran after the girl, ignoring her abused body's complaints._

_"That's not very nice," she said once she caught up with the raven-haired girl, who kept her eyes straight ahead, "Leaving poor helpless people on the road to die," she said with a pout._

_The girl's expression faltered when she saw Korra pout, but she managed to stay serious, "You were asking for it."_

_Korra turned to face her, walking sideways as she poked the girl's arm repeatedly, "Come on, you can't stay mad at me," she teased, "You were never able to before," she said with a cocky smile._

_"Don't push it," the raven-haired girl huffed as she quickened her pace. Korra easily caught up to her and threw an arm around the girl's shoulders._

_"You love me," Korra teased._

_The girl refused to say anything—only avoiding her gaze as they walked on—so Korra tightened her arm and pulled the girl closer to her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek._

_That broke the girl's walls, a small smile blossoming on her lips even if she was trying to fight it back. Korra grinned in triumph._

_"How you manage to do that is beyond me," the girl mumbled to herself but Korra responded anyways._

_She shrugged, "What can I say? I'm pretty damn irresistible,"_

_The girl rolled her eyes once again but Korra could see the smile lingering on her lips, "You're practically begging me to run you over myself,"_

 

 

* * *

 

 

Korra opened her eyes and found herself looking up at the ceiling above her. The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains in rays, streams of light revealing tiny dust particles floating in the air.

She let a slow exhale slip past her lips, disturbing the usually unseen to the naked eye above her. She watched the particles stir until they slowly returned to their original flow, her mind lingering on the dream playing behind her eyelids with every blink.

Korra almost swore her dream meant something more than it usually did, as if her subconscious was telling her to get her shit together. The memory of the day Korra saw Asami in the field with the others flashed before her eyes. She remembered how hurt the girl looked when Korra deliberately ignored her.

Kuvira had caught up to her as she was walking away from the group. Korra expected to be scolded harshly for her behavior, but she was surprised to find the girl only had sage words to say.

_Asami seems to really care about you, Korra, more than what you'd expect from someone you just met. Something's obviously going on between the two of you but that girl is one of the most caring people I know—so if you're dealing with shit, she'll be there to help, whether you like it or not._

Korra couldn't help but be reminded of her dream.

_Maybe I could help you,_

_Do you trust me?_

Apparently the effect of the girl's reaction affected Korra more than she realized, if her dreams were anything to go by. So the dream had to reflect how she really felt about it—far too straight-forward to mean anything else.

Korra sighed. She had initially hoped to catch some more sleep but it seemed as if that wouldn't be happening right now. She had too many things on her mind, too many things to deal with.

 _Might as well make most of the weekend,_ Korra thought to herself as she gathered the will to get out of the house. She rose off of her bed and stalked over to her dresser.

She scanned the fabrics lined up before her but one particular article of clothing caught her eye. It was a white cutoff shirt, especially deep to display the sides of her toned torso. It was her favorite shirt. It was also the shirt she remembered having on in her dream.

Thinking nothing of it, she immediately grabbed the shirt—along with a pair of denim cutoffs and worn in sneakers to complete the outfit—putting it on without a second thought, almost completely ignoring the strain of her arm when she lifted the shirt over her head. She had no idea where she was headed at this hour but she figured the outfit would do.

She left her apartment and opted for the stairs instead of the elevator seeing how she was in no particular rush. She exited the lobby, even going as far as greeting the doorman—who she never really had time to notice since she was always running late—before heading straight for her Jeep.

For once, she didn't regret leaving her windows down as she drove with no direction in mind. Weekdays in the city usually meant both air and noise pollution so Korra usually drove with the windows closed when she preferred the natural air. Today wasn't that bad, probably since most people were making the most of their day off in bed.

Wind threaded its fingers through her short hair and the sun reflected off her tan skin nicely. It made her feel great—maybe today would be a good day.

She combed her hair back when the wind whipped the strands across her aviators, temporarily blocking part of her vision. When she successfully managed to tame her wild hair for the time being, her eyes landed on a street sign—one that pointed to where the nearest park was. Seeing how she had nothing else to do, Korra turned the wheel and followed the sign.

Once she found a parking space along a sidewalk by the park, she locked her car and started up the nearest path.

It was a decent—if not the nicest—park Korra has seen. Granted, she hasn't seen much to be able to compare to this one since parks were more of a city thing, but nonetheless, Korra liked it. The park was obviously well kept—the grass was evenly cut, bushes were trimmed, the trees were abundant and spread all around and above but not overwhelmingly so.

Korra could see herself coming back here from time to time. She was surrounded by enough green and she almost couldn't detect the smell of the city when she breathed in—it was almost enough to convince her she was home.

She spotted a park bench hiding from behind a tree and headed towards it. She figured she could just relax here and maybe forget about the things that bothered her, at least for a little while.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her pack of cigarettes, placing one between her lips as she grabbed her lighter. She didn't spot any signs that prohibited smoking in the park so might as well just go for it—

She was just about to light the stick when her eyes flicked up from where they were initially focused on her task, landing on a familiar figure sitting on the bench she was heading toward. The person was facing away from her, but Korra didn't need to see their face to know who it was.

"Asami?" Korra called out.

The girl's posture grew rigid at the mention of her name, or rather the sound of Korra's voice. Asami slowly stood, not once facing the other girl as she did.

She angled her body so she was somewhere between facing Korra and not, merely studying the tan girl from the corner of her eye. They acted like strangers the day before, but saying the same now would be a huge understatement. It caused Korra pain knowing she was the one who started this.

"Korra," the other girl said simply, devoid of any emotion, before turning to walk away in the other direction without another word.

Panic surged in her veins. Korra knew she should just let the girl go, accept the consequences of her actions and receive the blunt of her anger. Yes, Korra knew that. But when did she ever do what was expected of her? Before she could even figure out what to say next, Korra shouted, "Wait!"

She half-expected Asami to completely ignore her—Korra deserved that much—but a part of her hoped she wouldn't. She had to fix it somehow.

Relief flooded her when Asami did turn around, merely giving her a blank stare as she waited indifferently. At least that's what she thought Asami was trying to portray, but Korra could see the hint of hurt and insecurity lingering there.

For a second, Asami's eyes flicked downward and landed on Korra's shirt. What looked like recognition flashed in the girl's eyes, but before Korra could figure out what it meant or if she was imagining things, the girl met her eyes like nothing happened.

The action shouldn't have intrigued her as much as it did.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"What do you want, Korra," Asami deadpanned, pushing the memories of her dream back as they tried to resurface once she saw the shirt Korra had on.

The same shirt the dream girl was wearing.

Or maybe it just looked similar or Asami was just mixing details up. It was impossible it was the same shirt, let alone Korra's.

...Right?

Korra seemed at loss for words, eyes flicking around nervously before landing on the various graphite pencils Asami clutched in one hand and her notebook in another.

Asami resisted the urge to hide the items behind her back—away from Korra's line of sight. It was a little petty and immature to do so just because she was mad, but she also wanted to hide them away since the objects were far too personal—paper and graphite was her way to portray and illustrate her thoughts.

Maybe her hands twitched or her discomfort was far too obvious, but Korra seemed to understand for some reason. After taking just one look at the girl's eyes, Korra dropped the question she seemingly wanted to ask and moved to sit on the bench Asami earlier occupied. Once she settled down, Asami couldn't help but notice the way the girl massaged her arm almost subconsciously. She quickly looked away however when Korra looked at her, holding up the cigarette she was playing with in her hand, "Do you mind?"

 _Yes_ , Asami wanted to say because smoking was unhealthy and she hated the smell and smoke made her nose itch and—

"Go ahead," Asami forced out. She wasn't about to lecture this girl—it seemed hopeless to try.

Korra smiled her thanks before placing the stick between her lips and lighting the tip with a red lighter. She took a deep drag, savoring the flavor of a freshly lit cigarette before slowly exhaling through her nose, raising the pack she had in her hand in Asami's direction. She stared at the object dumbly, unsure what she was supposed to do.

 _She offering you one, idiot,_ she told herself once realization dawned on her and she couldn't stop the almost automatic recoiling. Korra seemed amused by the girl's reaction but chose to say nothing, only placing the pack and the lighter in her pocket where they belonged.

The only sounds that followed was the nature around them and the nearly inaudible crackling sound of the cigarette as Korra took a drag—but other than that? Silence.

It stretched for what felt like hours between them when in fact it was just minutes. The emptiness made it seem like there was nothing to be said but Asami knew the silence was loaded—filled with unanswered questions, unreleased frustration and unresolved conflicts. It was getting to Asami's nerves and all she wanted to do was break it.

Asami subconsciously shifted from one foot to another and the other girl noticed—her blue eyes as the only indication of just that since her relaxed posture stayed the same. She looked away for a second—seemingly weighing her options, taking another drag as she was doing so—before she met Asami's eyes once again and patted the spot on the bench beside her. Under normal circumstances, Asami would've appreciated the offer, but this time however, the action only served to annoy her.

"I'm fine," she said plainly as she crossed her arms across her chest—or at least she tried, it was proving to be difficult with her hands currently preoccupied.

Then, of all things, Korra seemed to be amused with how she was acting and _smirked_  and that's what pushed Asami past her self-control, "You sure? Because you've been standing there for a while—"

"Oh and since when have you cared about how I feel?" Asami nearly snarled.

That certainly threw Korra off, the smirk on her face faltering but not quite, the girl unwilling to show how affected she was by Asami's sudden anger.

She shrugged, too nonchalantly for Asami's liking. She tried to sound casual when she spoke but Asami could hear the hesitation in her voice, "Well, you just looked uncomfortable and I thought you wanted to sit and—"

Then Asami snapped.

"I don't get you, Korra!" she all but shouted, surprising the both of them. Asami hadn't meant to explode on the girl, but now that she did, Asami understood it was bound to happen.

Korra stared at her, shock causing her usually stern features to go slack, but Asami saw understanding and regret swimming in the blue depths of her eyes.

"One moment you're acting like we're best friends then it's like you can't even stand to be in the same room the next," Asami wanted to be angry, to show the girl how frustrated she made her. But her voice only showed how sad and confused she was.

Asami might as well have hit her with how much the girl seemed to be in pain. Korra took in a shaky breath, looking away from the intense green eyes staring at her as if to recollect herself, "I'm sorry," was all she said.

Asami _really_  wanted to be angry because this girl has done nothing but torment her with mood swings—giving Asami a taste of both worlds and leaving her unprepared for which side she would witness next. It was exhausting and emotionally taxing to say the least, but her fury simmered down when she saw the blue eyes that avoided her own look as tormented as she felt. It was as if she couldn't stay angry at the girl.

Releasing a deep sigh after a moment's worth of hesitation, Asami moved to sit beside the girl.

They stayed like that for a while, merely immersing themselves in their surroundings as they were lost in their own thoughts. People started to arrive in the park—dog walkers and runners trailing the paths, children running and laughing while their families spread out blankets on the grass to enjoy the day.

"Why are you like this?" Asami whispered, the question almost rhetorical in the way she said it but she really wanted an answer.

The girl beside her sighed, as if she wanted to know the answer herself. She played with her long forgotten cigarette, using the ashes to draw something on the bench under her. Asami wanted to lean over and peek but she resisted that urge.

Without looking up from what she was doing, Korra shrugged—not casually but defeatedly—before she let them slump. "I'm terrified," she said simply.

It was Asami's turn to be thrown off guard.

"Trust doesn't come easy for me," Korra said, using her thumb to smudge the trails of ash on the bench.

She finally looked up from the bench, meeting the emerald eyes staring back at her in wonder, "But with you," she paused, her eyebrows scrunching a little as she studied Asami's eyes—like if she concentrated enough, she would find the answer there.

"But with you," she repeated, "It does,"

"And that terrifies me,"

With that, Korra stood, clutching the cigarette butt in one hand. She studied her for a moment and Asami was certain there was a little more clarity in those blue eyes.

"I'll see you around, Asami," Korra said as she started to leave, Asami's gaze never leaving her until the girl was out of sight.

Asami set her gaze back at her surroundings. The answer was rather vague—not quite answering her question—but at least they were making some sort of progress, right?

With a sigh, Asami moved to leave as well, figuring she had spent enough time outside. But as she stood, she caught a glimpse of a dark spot on the bench from the corner of her eye.

Ashes.

Upon closer inspection, Asami realized Korra wasn't drawing with the ashes, but rather, she was writing.

Asami moved to get a better angle to read the words inscribed there and she almost dropped her things when she did.

_How—_

She immediately dropped her pencils and frantically scanned through her notebook to find her latest entry—the page where she drew the bicycle in her dream from memory. Her mouth gaped in shock and awe and wonder, reading the words she had written down under the sketch.

_You can lean on other people too, you know._

_Give people a chance to prove you wrong for once._

Her eyes shifted from her notebook and down to the bench and back again. Impossible.

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and took a picture of the inscription Korra had left. In crude handwriting, two phrases written in dark ashes stood out from the sunbleached green of the bench.

_Prove me wrong_

_So I can lean on you_

Her mind ran over all the possibilities—that maybe this was all just a coincidence—but suddenly it made perfect sense.

Asami always thought that red string around Korra's wrist felt familiar.

Asami always thought those blue eyes felt like coming home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About time Asami finally put the two and two together right?
> 
> Let me know what you think of the chapter! :)
> 
> As always, any form of feedback (kudos/comments/bookmarks) is greatly appreciated! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	8. my body yearns for that beat to start (cause it's too hard to wait)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my beta's exact words, "THINGS. HAPPEN."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So I decided to post this chapter a little earlier since it's shorter...but I promise the content makes up for it!
> 
> AAAAAAAAS ALWAYS, not too confident about this one. 
> 
> But apparently my beta likes it a lot, sooooo...
> 
> Hope you like it!

_"I swear to god, Asami—you're going to pass out on me if you don't take a breath soon,"_

"Does it even matter anymore?" Asami said as she crashed face down on her bed, exhausted after her particularly lengthy rant. She was pretty sure she left skid marks on the floor considering how much time she spent pacing back and forth.

 _"Okay just because you found out Korra_ might _be your soulmate doesn't mean it's the end of the world...or maybe it does..."_

"Mako! Not helping!" she said, muffled seeing how her face was still planted on her pillow. Deciding she might end up passing out after all if she kept up her position, she sat up and moved to lean back against her headboard.

"Do you even believe what I'm trying to tell you?" she said after a while. She almost didn't believe it herself, so assuming Mako would immediately go along for the ride was a little too much.

_"Of course I do, Asami—I know you. You wouldn't make shit up. But did you want my full support? Need I remind you that the girl punched me in the face before she even knew my name?"_

Asami heard boisterous laughter in the background but she ignored that.

"Okay, maybe not, but I did come to you because I thought you'd be able to—I don't know— _guide_ me somehow?"

 _"Sister, you are asking the wrong person for help—guy can't even get his own life together,"_ another voice—definitely not Mako's—intervened.

 _"Mind your own fucking business, Bo!"_ Mako shouted from the other side of the line. Asami had to put the receiver away from her ear to make sure she didn't lose her hearing.

"He does kinda have a point though..." Asami said when the brothers eventually settled down on the other side of the phone, her words trailing off as realization dawned on her, "Wait—why am I on speaker?"

_"Don't tell me how to live my life, Sato."_

Asami chuckled before Mako's voice entered her ear once again, clearer this time like he placed his phone to his ear instead, _"But seriously though, knowing you—you would've confronted the girl already. So what's stopping you from just asking her about it?"_

Asami scoffed, "Do you even hear yourself right now? What if I do tell her and I'm wrong? What if this is all just a coincidence and I'm just overthinking things? Just imagine how she'd react—she'd think I was crazy, extremely desperate and _obsessed_ for thinking we're _soulmates_ like we were in a fucking _fairytale_ —"

_"You're forgetting to breathe again, Sams."_

He waited for a moment, making sure the girl was using her lungs again before speaking, _"It's well established that this all sounds crazy, yes."_

_"But based on what you told me—the shirt, your notebook, the ashes, that weird arm thing she has and how they all link to your dreams—isn't it too much to be just a coincidence?"_

Asami nodded, completely forgetting the fact that Mako wasn't actually there to see it, but she knew he didn't need any confirmation from her to know that she agreed.

 _"And if this is all actually happening—that you two are actually soulmates in whatever sense of the word and you're_ not _imagining things—don't you think she's going through the same things you are? The suspicions? The doubt? The paranoia? She's probably as lost as you are, possibly even more."_

Asami cringed. In all honesty, she hadn't even bothered to think about Korra's point of view. She was too busy panicking to think about anything else but herself.

There was a pause in the line before Mako continued, _"I honestly think you should just let things play out—see what happens. Confronting her about it might just end up with her running away—you of all people should know that the girl isn't exactly too keen on expressing her feelings."_

"So you're saying I just pretend like _nothing_ happened? Like everything's _normal_?" Asami said incredulously. She knew what Mako was proposing was the best way of approaching the situation, but she couldn't help but let her impatience get to her. She wanted answers and she wanted them _now_.

 _"I never said that."_ he quickly placated the girl, _"You're one of the most organized and collected people I know, Asami—and you're not exactly taking this information lightly. If she does have the same realization, just imagine what she feels."_

Now that was what put Asami's impatience aside. Mako was right—Asami was acting like she was the only one who didn't have the answers, the only one that was lost.

Absentmindedly picking at the loose threads of her comforter, Asami couldn't help but remember how the girl's unexpected display of vulnerability when they saw each other in the park.

 _I'm terrified,_ Korra had said.

 _"I think you should just give her some space for now,"_ Mako continued, _"Either to realize the things you have if she hasn't already or at least come to terms with it. Let her be the one who comes to you."_

Now that was going to be difficult. She didn't want to admit it, but if she felt a pull towards Korra before—it was even stronger now that she knew the possible reason why. If Asami were to describe the feeling, it was like gaining her memory back after years of amnesia and she just keeps wanting to experience that memory again and again to make up for the lost time.

Did it sound dramatic?

Yes.

But that's what it felt like.

She sighed in defeat—nonetheless, she understood Mako's point. "Okay," she said simply.

_"Good. Now that'll be 50 dollars,"_

Asami snorted, smirking as she replied sarcastically, "Sorry, but I was informed that best friends get a 100% discount,"

 _"Dammit,"_ Mako cursed from the other side of the line.

Asami laughed at that, but her smirk was immediately replaced with a somber expression, "But really, thanks a lot Mako. I don't know what I'd do without you.

_"It's no problem, Asami. I'm always here for you if you need me,"_

Asami really should've ended it at that, but she couldn't resist, "Yeah, you being a know-it-all does come in handy sometimes,"

 _"Wha—excuse me?"_ he exclaimed incredulously, his usually calm voice going up an octave as he sputtered.

"Oh look at that—looks like I have to go! Thanks again Mako!" She quickly ended the call before the boy could even protest.

She chuckled to herself, shaking her head at their ridiculous friendship before the smile on her face slowly faded as she replayed Mako's words in her mind.

_Let her be the one who comes to you._

_That's easier said than done, Mako,_ she thought to herself before pushing away all thoughts about Korra from her mind.

Or at least she tried.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The next two weeks went by easier than Asami had expected.

Things have almost returned to normal—the odd tension within her group of friends disappeared, no more fights in campus ensued, and Asami was almost completely back in her usual dynamic.

Almost. But not quite.

There was a nearly indistinguishable difference in the way Asami acted—she started to tense in public spaces, started to subconsciously do a quick sweep of a crowd with her eyes, just looking for one particular face with the right shade of blue eyes.

And of course it didn't go by unnoticed by her friends, if the knowing looks she saw exchange between themselves meant something.

It was like Asami constantly felt the need to meet those eyes—the only contact she could allow herself while simultaneously giving the girl space—like she felt the need to assure herself that Korra was there.

Real, present and—a little odd, even to herself—within her reach.

But most of all, she wanted to make sure Korra was okay.

Okay enough to not run away from Asami again.

Whenever she did find Korra in the campus crowd—which always ended up happening for some reason—the girl would merely give her a small smile before turning to walk away in the opposite direction.

Asami had to force herself not to feel hurt when she did. She knew deep down—despite the pettiness that surfaced to the front of her mind every once in a while—the girl needed space and it wasn't necessarily because of her. Whether it was to figure out the same suspicions Asami has or something else, the raven-haired girl wouldn't be the one to pressure her.

But if mere eye contact and a small smile from a distance was all Asami got to assure herself that things were better between them than before, then she'll take it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

"Wait—so you're telling me that you _don't_ dip your fries in ice cream?"

"Nope."

"How about in gravy?"

"Haven't tried it."

"Do you at least drink the gravy?"

"Did you just say _drink_?"

_"Who even does that?"_

"Uhh... _everyone?"_

"Don't think so, Bo,"

"Oh come on, next thing you're going to tell me you don't drink mayo—"

_"Stop right there."_

Asami shook her head when she overheard her group's conversation as she sat down beside Opal and set her tray down on the table, "Why can't we have normal conversations like normal people?"

She caught a glimpse of blue eyes looking her way, but she didn't pay it much mind today, thinking she and Korra were just going through the everyday motions. She flashed a quick smile toward the girl's direction before returning her attention to her friend.

Bolin gasped loudly and gave Asami a disbelieving look. She rolled her eyes at him from over the apple she lifted to her lips. She shrugged before taking a bite and chewing slowly.

" _How dare you,_ " he whispered harshly, "I will never—and I repeat, _never_ —be called _normal_ ," he said incredulously, spitting the last word like he couldn't stand the way it tasted on his tongue.

Kuvira—who had been silent during the entire encounter as she stabbed at her salad with a fork—shrugged without looking up from her food, "Not like anyone would ever dream of that," she said quietly.

Bolin shifted his gaze from Asami to Kuvira from across the table, throwing his hands up before slamming them down on the table, "Thank you!" he said genuinely.

Everyone in the table exchanged looks before bursting into loud laughter.

"What?" Bolin exclaimed, his eyes shifting from one face to another, innocent as ever—and that only made the group laugh even harder.

Opal was currently trying to contain her laughter behind her hand but obviously failed to hide her shoulders as they shook. She did, however, try to reassure the boy—patting him on the shoulder, "Oh it's nothing, you're just funny, is all."

Mako rolled his eyes before widening them in mock horror, "Please don't encourage him,"

Kuvira waved him off, "Please, I think he should tell us more jokes since he's so _extremely_ funny," she said slowly, each word dripping in sarcasm.

Mako shrugged, choosing to concentrate on his food like it would somehow spare him from Bolin's 'jokes', "You're digging your own grave,"

Bolin, like always, took all of this lightly, "I'm not that bad," he said before perking up, "Oh I have this really good one—"

He started to tell his joke but suddenly, Asami lost all ability to comprehend what he was saying.

It was sudden and Asami didn't understand what she was experiencing. Maybe she was having a mild heart attack. Was this what a heart attack felt like?

It was like she was struck by a live wire—her spine went ramrod straight, what felt like cold finger trailed up her back and her skin tingled. To say it was overwhelming was an understatement.

The weird thing was, she felt an irresistible urge to look behind her.

But Bolin—who was sitting across Asami—beat her to it, cutting himself off mid-sentence with a smile as his eyes landed somewhere above her head, "Hey Korra," he said happily.

The involuntary shiver that went through Asami's spine at the mere mention of the girl's name was unnerving to say the least.

Asami quickly spun in her seat, ignoring her newly developed reaction to the girl's presence when she realized she would be getting more than just mere eye contact.

Despite the fact that Bolin was the one that greeted Korra, Asami found blue eyes staring just as intently into her own.

And just like that, all the things Asami wanted to say for the past two weeks went out the window and she was left completely speechless. She almost had to pick her jaw up from the floor.

"Hi," was all Asami said—rather lamely at that—and she never wanted to hit herself so badly in her life.

Korra—thankfully—chose to ignore her sudden incoherence and lips spread to form her signature smirk, "Hey there, princess," she said casually, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Asami was blushing. _Why am I blushing?_

 _Dammit, pull it together, Asami_ , she told herself as she quickly spun in her seat once again and coughing into her fist. Damn that nickname for making her react that way.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Mako giving her a knowing look and Kuvira arching an eyebrow at her. She also may or may not have heard a low chuckle from behind her. Suddenly her half-eaten apple seemed so goddamn interesting.

Opal looked over her shoulder and grinned at Korra, "Hey, Kor. What's up?" she said conversationally. She either completely oblivious to Asami's discomfort or choosing to ignore it.

Still not looking at the girl, Asami heard Korra reply, "Not much. Someone stole my usual seat outside where I usually eat and I can't seem to find a place to stay," she said honestly, "Mind if I sit here?"

Asami panicked, looking up at Mako when she suddenly remembered the last encounter between him and Korra. He met her eyes and Asami gave him a pleading look, which he took in stride without even a second's worth of hesitation.

"Of course not," he said, answering for the group, "You can sit by me and Kuv."

Asami had half a mind to protest—wanting to sit next to the girl—but Mako gave her a pointed look.

 _Space_ , his eyes tried to convey.

She sent him a glare but knew deep down that he was right. She wasn't in any place to pressure the girl about something Asami wasn't even sure about herself.

So she watched Korra discreetly—at least Asami hoped so—as she moved to sit on the other side of the table.

Asami sighed and slumped in her seat. Maybe having just eye contact from a distance wasn't too bad after all.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Asami somehow ended up caught in a conversation with Opal and Bolin—a continuation of the food topic from what Asami could tell, since she wasn't really paying attention. But it's not like she was even trying to actively participate in the first place. Actually, it was easier to pretend she wasn't even there. She was too busy sneaking looks at Korra from behind her eyelashes or from the corner of her eye—trying to be discreet but most likely failing.

She felt a foot kick her own from under the table and she jumped, her gaze transforming into a glare as they landed Mako, who was giving her a pointed look. Okay, maybe it seemed like she wasn't even trying to be discreet with her staring.

But really, can you blame Asami for being curious? She wanted to see something—anything—to serve as proof that Korra was going through the same things as her; the confusion, the disbelief, the hope.

Maybe Korra even had the answers.

Korra seemed to be in deep conversation with Kuvira—who was probably talking about something that seemed to be both in their interests—and they've been at it for a while now. Asami had to force down what felt like jealousy slowly creeping into her mind.

If she were being completely honest with herself, she wanted to be in Kuvira's shoes at the moment—having Korra looking at her and just within her reach.

As if on cue, Korra's eyes looked up from where they were initially focused on Kuvira and met Asami's own.

Asami immediately felt the urge to look away, feeling as if she were caught in the act somehow.

She had expected Korra to do a lot of things when she caught her staring—maybe give her a cocky smirk or a teasing wink or a maybe even a _snarl_ if she felt like it—but what Asami didn't expect was for the girl to give her a genuine smile.

It was a quick one—not lasting for more than a few seconds before the girl turned to focus her attention once again on Kuvira—but it still hit Asami like a tidal wave.

It wasn't often Asami got to see that on the girl's face. Granted, they didn't see each other too often, but when they did, it was always something else. Never a genuine smile.

 _Except for that time she showed up at your doorstep,_ a voice whispered in her head.

 _Anytime, princess_ , the blue-eyed girl had said, uncertainty flickering in her eyes but nonetheless, the smile she gave Asami was real.

Asami couldn't help but revel in the drastic change in the girl. It was like the two of them had switched positions—Asami being the rambling, confused and flustered mess while Korra was the one to assure her.

Because that's what Asami saw in Korra's eyes. If it was uncertainty and confusion before—it was clarity now.

Assurance.

Like she had everything figured out.

It would've been simple to just confront Korra about the things crowding her mind.

She could just excuse herself and ask Korra to come with her, maybe say she wanted company or something.

Or something.

But of course, if she learned anything in the short time she knew Korra—the girl was unpredictable. She could run away all over again and they'd be back to square one.

Asami didn't want that.

But she was going to try anyway.

At least that's what she planned before she noticed Mako eyeing her as if he had completely read her mind.

Bolin, with his short attention span, moved on from his conversation with Opal and shifted his attention towards the other members of the group, his eyes landing on the two girls across him, "Whatcha talkin' about?" he asked conversationally.

Korra looked up again and settled her gaze on the boy that had addressed them, "Kuvira was just telling me about the football tryouts later this week," she said nonchalantly.

Making everyone seated in the table jump, Bolin suddenly shot up in his seat, slamming his hands once again down on the table and Asami placed a hand lightly on his shoulder to calm him down, not that it worked of course.

"You should totally go!" he exclaimed as if it was a genius idea that no one else could've thought of.

Kuvira rolled her eyes, "That's why I was telling her about it, Bo,"

Bolin ignored the girl's snide comment and rose from his seat and rounded the table to stand behind Korra.

"I've seen you play and I can say you got this in the bag, son! You're going to be great!" he said, gripping her shoulders in his excitement and pain quickly flashed in Korra's eyes—her face contorting into a grimace and Asami never acted so quickly in her life.

Almost instinctively, Asami immediately shot to her feet and started to move, angry words already forming on her tongue and she honestly didn't think she would have stopped.

But Korra met her eyes immediately and it was like the icy blue made her body freeze. Realization hit her like a tsunami—Asami couldn't believe what she was just about to do.

It was like her body just automatically reacted to Korra's pain, her instincts telling her to end its source.

And it's source just so happened to be one of her closest friends.

_Just like how she felt the need to hurt Mako after he hurt Korra._

Completely shaken by the sudden realization, Asami took a step back, shock making her face go slack and all she could focus on was the girl in front of her. The back of her mind registered the stares her friends were sending her way but she couldn't bring herself to meet them, too ashamed even if they didn't know what she was planning to do.

But Korra understood.

Slowly peeling Bolin off of her, she stood as well and stood in front of Asami, her shoulder in an awkward angle as if she were still in pain. Asami's fingers twitched, as if she wanted to do something—anything—to relieve that pain.

Blue met green and Asami was so sure that Korra was trying to tell her something by she couldn't tell what it was.

Almost carefully, Korra gripped Asami's arms lightly and tugged her down with her as she sat where Bolin was initially seated, leaving barely an inch of space between them as she did so.

Asami shook her head and that's when she realized Mako had tried to get things back to normal in the group, having started a conversation to distract them. Asami was grateful that her friend had her back since the distraction seemed to have worked but Asami could see that her friends were a little wary as to what was going on.

Asami nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand slip into her own from under the table but immediately relaxed when she realized it was Korra's.

Under normal circumstances, relaxing at a near stranger's touch would've worried Asami.

But this was Korra.

She felt the hand squeeze her own, _I'm fine,_ Asami guessed the action meant and she knew deep down, she felt better now because she knew Korra was with her and _safe_.

Slowly, the ice in her veins melted and she was back to normal—only better. Asami knew that it was because of Korra, as if her mere proximity was enough.

After a while, she realized that neither of them had let go of the other, their hands still connected under the table. Almost involuntarily, Asami let out a contented sigh. At the corner of her eye, she studied Korra. She started to act normal as well—as if the past few minutes didn't happen—but Asami could see a hint of a smile on her lips that wasn't there before.

Before she could hesitate, Asami ran her thumb across Korra's knuckles lightly and her heart instantly warmed when the smile on Korra's face only grew.

Asami may not have all the answers, but she knew one thing.

They had a connection and neither of them could deny that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC FINALLY THE HANDHOLDING
> 
> but yes, this chapter is a sign that things between our two girls are finally progressing and I'm really excited to write the next chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!
> 
> As always, any form of feedback (kudos/comments/bookmarks) is greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for what you're about to read

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> okay so I got a comment a few days ago asking about when the next update is and the answer is not now (well yeah Pugs duh)
> 
> (Stop talking to yourself Pugs)
> 
> ANYWAYS
> 
> I haven't been posting for almost a month now cuz (wait for it) 
> 
> ~COLLEGE~
> 
> SO MUCH STRESS
> 
> see it's finals and the past few weeks has been loaded with last minute tests, lab practicals (ugh med school) and projects that sometimes don't even matter to my major 
> 
> (I had to do a short film about Nietzsche??? like don't get me wrong I love philosophy and I actually wanted to take film but I mean?? how is this related to what I'm actually here for???)
> 
> ANYWAYS...AGAIN
> 
> so yeah you guys can probably tell how out of it I am right now (mini-rant: it's midnight and around 6 buckets of water were dumped on me in a water fight today so I might be sick and I have to be up by 4am tomorrow)
> 
> (ALSO A WATER FIGHT IN A MED COURSE????)
> 
> I'm sorry you have to deal with me in this state but 
> 
> actually there is no but
> 
> just yes
> 
> sorry
> 
> I'll get it out soon 
> 
> by it I mean the update
> 
> yes
> 
> right
> 
> now to catch some sleep
> 
> probably going to regret posting this in the morning but hey
> 
> might've entertained some of you
> 
> maybe
> 
> let me know if I just annoyed you (so I can bang my head against a wall) or did I actually manage to amuse you (you have some questionable humor then but I will give you cookies)
> 
> oh and I have about 4000 words of the chapter typed down just sayin
> 
> Update: I slept through my alarm and woke up 2 hours later and now I'm late for class whoopie

 

* * *

blah blah blah words cuz 10 character rule don't mind this...or you could cuz I can't tell you how to live your life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probably going to delete this when I see this in the morning
> 
> I don't even know how to use properly English at the moment and words are blurring
> 
> my brain is giving up on me
> 
> also my beta said NOOOO TO SNEAK PEEKS when I was gonna place one here
> 
> too tired to fight him so go fight him for me if you wanted a sneak peek kthxbye


	10. I know I'm gonna let you down so don't hold your breath now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little dive into everyone's minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **incoming long ass author's note!!**
> 
> okay so I felt the need to clarify the situation of this story. I had a conversation with my beta about the appropriate ages of our beloved characters and well we've decided for information's sake that **Asami and Korra are 21, Mako and Kuvira are 22, Bolin and Opal are 20.** Now I know these aren't accurate according to canon but I'm sticking to them for this story. 
> 
> also I'm sticking to my country's laws, which means 18 is the legal age. You'll see ;)
> 
> Another thing that I'd like to clarify is that this story is a **college AU**. Some of you might find this piece of information irrelevant but this might help others, I don't know. I understand that it may feel like highschool due to some elements (like the lockers and hallway fist fights lol) but I'm basing this story of off my version of college, which is basically highschool part 2 (ugh).
> 
> all this may seem irrelevant but I found these seemingly unimportant yet oddly valid points to clarify. like I said, it may have helped some of you...or not...idk you do you 
> 
> also I'm back!!! (duh) and it's officially my summer break!! which means more updates!
> 
> SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!
> 
> sorry for this extremely long AN but hey no regrets and if you skipped this, well I promise to be only mildly offended jk I'm extremely offended JK I'm not at all don't worry
> 
> here we go again with the verbal diarrhea
> 
> also I decided to post this a little early due to my long ass hiatus
> 
> Hope you like this one! :)

"Did you see the way Korra—"

"Yup."

"—She just ripped the ball right from under their noses—"

"Mhmm."

"—That shot she made was _impossible_ but _she did it_ —"

"Yes, Bo. I was there when it happened."

"—I'm sooooo sure she had her eyes closed when she did that—"

"Okay, I'm almost a hundred percent certain they were open,"

"Nuh-uh, you didn't see her and I did,"

"I'm pretty sure I was right beside you when that happened,"

"Well Mako—you must be blind,"

"I'm not bli—"

"THEN YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT HER EYES WERE CLOSED."

A pause.

Then a defeated sigh from from the older brother.

"So you agree with me now? Her eyes were closed right?"

"Sure,"

The conversation should've ended at that but then—

"Mako."

Silence.

" _Mako_."

More silence.

There was a deep inhale before, "MAKOMAKOMAKOMAKOMAKO—"

"WHAAAAAAAAT???" The older brother all but screeched as his voice went up an octave.

"..."

"..."

"I still can't believe her eyes were _closed_ ,"

Asami couldn't stay silent anymore, bursting into loud laughter at the brothers' banter and how reverent Bolin had sounded.

Both brothers turned to look at her. Bolin seemed confused at first but joined in eventually and Mako—well, let's just say he didn't look as amused as his brother.

"You wouldn't be laughing if it were you in my shoes," Mako huffed, sending a glare in her direction as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Asami shrugged and met his glare evenly, far too familiar with the usual mock-anger that came along with being friends with anyone in her group, "Good thing I'm not then," she countered.

"I will not be the one to save you when he focuses his attention on you," Mako warned, the intense look in his eyes not faltering, willing Asami to break first.

Bolin chose this moment to interrupt their little stare-down, standing between the two to capture their attention, "I'm right here, you know,"

Mako looked away from Asami, considering it a draw but not before he sent another glare—Asami may or may not have stuck her tongue out at him—before turning to his brother.

"Are you insulted?" Mako questioned the younger boy.

Bolin didn't even hesitate, "No," he stared at his brother with his head cocked to the side, "What made you think that?"

That made Mako raise an eyebrow, "You implied it."

Bolin shrugged, "No I didn't,"

Mako's other eyebrow joined its other half, "So why mention it?"

"Which?"

Mako looked just about ready to smack some sense into his brother's head, "I'm right here, you know," he said in a disturbingly accurate imitation of Bolin's voice.

"Ohhh..." Bolin trailed off, his mouth forming a small O before shrugging, "'Cause I felt like it."

There was that same silence from Mako, but this time, it looked like he was actually going to follow through on that smacking, "Bolin, I swear to God—"

"Guys!" Asami suddenly interrupted, making both boys jump. She rolled her eyes at them—she swore the two couldn't last an hour without fighting at least once about everything and nothing.

But before Asami could scold them like the mother hen she was, Opal's voice interrupted her, calling out for them as she ran up the stairs and headed to where they were standing. All three of them turned to address Opal once the girl had caught up to them. The youngest girl had been the one looking for Kuvira while the three stayed in the bleachers where they decided to meet up.

Mako shifted his frustrated glare to Opal. It was almost comical how he struggled to adjust his facial expression to one that was even relatively close to friendly.

"What's up, O?" he greeted conversationally, only to receive a raised hand from the girl.

"Give me a sec," Opal breathed out, placing her hand back where it was on her knee as she made sure her lungs still functioned properly, "Why is it like those goddamn stairs seem to go on forever?" she panted.

After a while, she looked up and finally met the eyes of her three confused—yet slightly amused—friends. She waved her hand around in a gesture as she tried to explain herself.

"Kuv told me to tell you guys the football team's throwing a party in two hours at our place," Opal paused to inhale, still slightly out of breath, "And knowing us, we take forever to get ready so yeah, that's why I was running up those goddamn stairs,"

Asami rolled her eyes, "I think you mean _you_  take forever to get ready," she corrected while the boys merely nodded in agreement.

Opal shot them all a glare, "Of course not,"

The statement sat in the air between them like a pink turtleduck for about 3 seconds as the trio stared at Opal expectantly before the girl threw her hands up in defeat.

"Fine! _I'm_ the one that takes forever! Happy? Yes? Good. Now you two," Opal said, pointing to the two boys in front of her then throwing her thumb back at the general direction from which she came from, "Go get Kuv and meet us out front because no way in hell am I dealing with those stairs again," she ordered so forcefully that Asami thought the salutes the boys gave her were actually serious.

Without another word, Opal started pulling Asami toward the back of the bleachers—but not before the girl could shoot a glare at the mentioned flight of stairs like it was the sole source of world problems.

Asami shook her head at her occasionally erratic friend but allowed herself to be pulled along nonetheless.

"Where are we going?" Asami asked once she caught sight of a set of doors. If she remembered correctly—which she did, considering how being part of the student council came along with the responsibility of knowing every inch of the campus—those doors probably led to the locker rooms.

Opal confirmed her suspicions, waving off her question with a manicured hand but answered it nonetheless, "Kuv said to go get Korra too while we're up here—guess no one wants to have to deal with those stairs given a choice," she mumbled the last part as she pushed through the doors and walked down the empty hall.

Asami rolled her eyes and wanted to mention how she and the boys climbed the stairs just fine but then the early half of Opal's sentence finally seemed to register in her mind.

"Wait—Korra's coming?" Asami asked, immediately schooling her expression into one of disinterest, as if that would hide the curiosity that was most likely clear in her voice.

A few weeks ago, the overwhelming interest in Korra might have freaked her out—but Asami had long stopped questioning her unnerving need to be close to the girl and had come to accept it as it was, no matter how odd. She wondered if her excitement was obvious.

"Well yeah I mean she _is_ part of the team now—I mean I know there aren't any announcements yet but anyone with eyes can tell the girl got in," Opal said casually, but Asami didn't miss the way the girl studied her from the corner of her eye.

If it weren't for that and the immediate silence on Opal's part, Asami would've thought that she were successful in hiding her sudden interest. As they rounded a corner, she couldn't help but wonder what her friends thought of the whole Korra situation.

Granted, Asami was still yet to acknowledge the said situation—not that she already figured it out herself—with her friends but she could tell her friends knew something was up, something that quite obviously involved Korra.

Asami looked down at her and Opal's joined hands, the sight evoking a memory from earlier that week.

She could see it in her mind vividly and she didn't need to try too hard to remember each detail—how her outrage took over at the sight of Korra in pain, how ready she was to hurt Bolin for _unintentionally_  inflicting that pain, how Korra had calmed her down just by meeting her eyes, how Korra had held her hand under the table the entire time after that.

Yes, Asami remembered every single detail.

Unfortunately, that included what happened afterwards—no matter how much she tried to tell herself it wasn't anything worth dwelling on, much less keep replaying in her mind.

How Korra seemed to avoid her the whole day after lunch, how she had lunch with them twice that week and never sat beside Asami, how the girl immediately looked away whenever their eyes met across any distance.

How it seemed like the whole thing never happened.

Asami _really_  didn't want to think about it. She tried telling herself it was nothing, that she was being paranoid, that she shouldn't worry about it, that it shouldn't matter to her.

But it did.

Oh god, it mattered _so_  much to her.

It was slowly eating away at her and Asami found herself not-so-discreetly staring at the girl whenever she was near—as if Asami could find the answer there if she looked hard enough. She wondered if she was the only one that thought that something changed between them that day, like something shifted in their slowly tipping scale and suddenly everything was balanced and things finally started to make sense.

But in the times she saw Korra after that fateful day, Asami couldn't help but feel like she had been led on—may it be intentional or not.

Asami  _swore_  something happened between them and it made her sick just thinking that she was the only one that realized it.

She made a decision. Almost a month has passed since she decided to give Korra space and a week since their first lunch together. She didn't think she could hold up any longer. She needed answers and she needed them now. If only she had enough courage to follow through on that.

Asami heard Opal call out Korra's name from beside her and she was immediately pulled from of her unsettled mind. She hadn't even realized that they already arrived in the girl's locker room, too caught up in her own thoughts to notice anything else. She shook her head as if that would somehow clear her head of Korra.

Not that it ever worked. 

\-------------------

_"So you're telling me that you're doing fine."_

Korra twisted the key and shoved her apartment door open with her shoulder, dropping her gym bag on the floor as she kicked the door shut, "Why is that so hard to believe?" she huffed. 

Once she and her new group of friends—Korra was still adjusting to calling them that—met up after tryouts, they all went their separate ways to prepare for the party at Kuv and Opal's place. Korra was completely in her element when it came to parties so she didn't stress too much, agreeing to meet at the party itself more than an hour later despite her having no need for that much time to prepare.

 _"You'll have better luck trying to convince me that my father tried to rule the world,"_ she heard her cousin say in her usual monotone voice, but Korra knew from experience that that was the girl's version of a joke, or at least as close as she could get to one.

Korra rolled her eyes as she stalked over to her fridge, "In his dreams, Eska,"

_"You truly believe he won't try one day?"_

She propped up her phone on her shoulder to twist open a bottle of Gatorade, "Oh I do—he actually mentioned it to me once when we were younger," she paused to think, "and I don't think he was kidding," she said before taking a sip.

 _"At least someone's honest here,"_ her cousin said without the slightest hint of hesitation, but Korra supposed she should be used to that by now.

Korra set the bottle down on the kitchen counter with an exasperated sigh, the sound echoing through the empty space of her apartment, "What do you want me to say, E? That I'm miserable? Because for a moment there, I actually belse bed we've moved past you enjoying the concept of me in pain,"

 _"What gave you that idea?"_ there was that attempt at joking again. Korra snorted in response, but otherwise stayed silent since she figured the girl had more to say. She was right.

_"It's just that the last time we spoke you spent so much time complaining in that whiny voice of yours. So forgive me if it's a little hard to believe when you say that everything's suddenly okay,"_

"My voice isn't whiny," Korra's attempt to change the topic was met by the silence only Eska and her twin brother could make so she gave in with a defeated sigh, "I guess I just came to terms with it,"

_"It? Do you mean the moving or is there something else?"_

Korra bit her lip as Asami flew to the forefront of her mind. She wanted to mention the girl to her cousin, but doing so would only reopen the wound—get her thinking once again.

Korra has successfully avoided thinking about the whole connected dream thing for so long now and she honestly preferred it that way. She saw no point in bringing it up with the raven-haired girl—considering the possibility that this was all just happening in her imagination—so she merely pushed it to the back of her mind. It was better that way, for the both of them.

"I mean the moving," Korra finally said.

She technically wasn't lying but her cousin seemed to pick up on it, the silence that followed her statement made that clear.

 _"If you say so,"_ she said after a while.

Korra released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, moving away from the kitchen and headed towards her bedroom to grab clothes for later that night. The other end of the line was silent, implying that Eska was still waiting for her to come clean—and if there was anything that made Korra uncomfortable, it was the penetrating silence that came solely from her cousins.

"So how's everyone over there?" Korra blurted out just to have something to say—and to change the topic—but winced once she realized what exactly had come out of her mouth. Okay, it's not so much the words but what those words entailed and she definitely wanted to avoid that.

Eska seemed to sense her hesitation, but chose to ignore it, as if to prove she still relished in Korra's discomfort despite their developing 'friendship'. That or she was still numb to all emotion, _"If you mean your mother, then she's worried as always, but do you even care enough to ask about your father?"_

Korra bristled—the fact that her cousin knew what buttons to push bothered her to no end.

She fell for the taunt—her fists clenching at her sides as she glared at the wall, "You don't know what you're talking abou—"

 _"On the contrary, dearest cousin,"_ Eska interrupted, _"I am quite informed,"_ her cousin still spoke in that same monotone voice but even Korra could tell there was a certain edge to it.

"As much as I love getting reprimanded for my poor life decisions," Korra said through her teeth, grinding them hard enough to make her jaw ache, "Why don't you mind your own fucking business—"

 _"This is my business!"_ Eska interrupted with a snarl, more emotion in her voice than Korra ever remembered hearing from the other girl and that was enough to stun her into silence.

 _"_ _One_ _thing, Korra—_ one _bad thing happened to you and suddenly you think you have the right to act like you're the most miserable person in the world. Trust me, that would've been fine by me because I don't care enough if you fuck up your life—but when you start dragging our family into your little pity party and make everyone just as miserable as you are—apparently we can't live our lives because you fucked up yours right?"_

On any other occasion, Korra would fight back but a sound from the other side of the line cut her off. It was almost inaudible, but there was an unmistakable hitch of breath and that was enough to pull Korra from her state of shock, "Eska, I—"

 _"Save it, Korra."_ Eska said in that same uncharacteristic voice and Korra would've snapped her mouth shut just hearing the girl sound that vulnerable.

After a moment of silence from both ends of the phone, the usually stoic girl finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper, _"They miss you, Korra—and I'm not just talking your presence."_ she scoffed bitterly, _"I almost want to tell them the old Korra's not coming back,"_

Then as if an afterthought—so quiet that Korra could say she merely imagined it, but at the same time too loud for her to ignore, _"Prove me wrong, Korra."_

The dial tone was deafening to her ears and the silence that enveloped her was even more suffocating than before. Korra absentmindedly glanced at her empty apartment visible through the crack of her open bedroom door.

She didn't think it was possible to feel any more alone than she already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now I know it's quite short and I'm sorry if it wasn't exactly what you were expecting after my long hiatus but I have the next chapter kinda ready (and it's VERY long okay) so I'll probably be posting the next chap by the end of the week...no promises tho cuz I'll be out of town
> 
> Nonetheless, let me know what you think of this VERY SHORT chapter! Love it? Hate it? Kiss it? Flush it down the toilet?


	11. you've never been one to wear what you feel on your sleeve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If I'm the same, then how could we get to the place we both know where we need to be_
> 
> in which they step out of their comfort zones and find that it's worth it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand this chapter is specifically 11,836 words long...I feel like I should be ashamed
> 
> but I can explain myself! I've been staying in a haunted house and I've been sleep deprived for days now, which explains why I had so much writing time in my hands haha
> 
> but I realize that doesn't explain how this got so long...
> 
> I asked my beta what would he want as a reader and I decided to just give you guys the whole fucking whopper
> 
> I'm ashamed to admit that I kinda rushed to post this considering my time with my dearest wifi is limited BUT I will be editing later on! :)
> 
> if you're into long chapters, then congratulations, but if not, I suggest taking little breaks and reward yourself with a cookie or something (mmm cookies) 
> 
> Hope you like this one!

Asami Sato wasn't one to get hammered.

Either because she had an extremely high tolerance for alcohol or because she liked to believe she should be the one to stay sober enough to take care of her friends at the aftermath of their drunken escapades.

In fact, she despised people getting piss drunk. They got too loud and rowdy and it was a pain in the ass to deal with.

Asami Sato wasn't one to get hammered.

But she was certainly on her way at the moment.

Apparently, her rational mind decided to take a vacation for the night and left her to do whatever stupid shit she felt like doing—emphasis on the word stupid.

It was one of those days—the 1 out of 10 times in Asami's life—where she actually lets go and not give a single fuck about the consequences. So far she hasn't done anything too stupid—at least from what she could remember—but the night was still young. She'll probably regret everything by morning, but _fuck that_ , right now she was having the time of her life.

"You're not drunk enough!" Asami heard someone shout by her ear, turning around and finding Opal to be the source of the voice—after taking a moment to refocus her blurry vision of course.

Opal pushed a red cup of whatever alcoholic concoction she whipped up into her hands—though Asami had a suspicion the girl just poured whatever she found first—and Asami bottomed the cup like a shot before she could even figure out what it was.

"Someone's thirsty," an amused voice said from behind her shoulder and under normal circumstances, Asami would've smacked these people for constantly sneaking up on her but right now no fucks were given remember?

A shiver ran down her spine as her skin grew hypersensitive—a reaction Asami eventually grew accustomed to and recognized as her Korra-is-in-your-radar reaction. Just like that, Asami felt her confident and no-fucks-given attitude evaporate.

Despite the warning—maybe warning is an understatement considering how her brain practically screaming at her—Asami still managed to jump 3 feet off the floor in surprise. She heard a laugh from behind her despite the loud music that filled every corner of the house. She whipped around to face its source and found herself staring straight into blue eyes. Asami's own eyes blinked several times and she suddenly felt extremely sober as she tried—and failed—not to stare.

Korra was standing before her, wearing an outfit similar to the one she wore the day they saw each other in the park—sinful denim shorts, a cutoff shirt, her hair in its usual messy do—but she traded her sneakers for flip flops like she was ready for the beach, not to mention her cutoff shirt was cut even lower now; the huge holes revealing a blue bikini underneath.

She could've gone forever just staring and not even notice but she immediately ripped her eyes off of Korra when she saw those blue eyes watching her with amusement.

Maybe Asami was just imagining things but there seemed to be a certain softness in the air around Korra, something that felt way too close to sadness. But the smirk on her face said otherwise, so Asami pushed the worrying thought away—at least for now.

"Like what you see, princess?" Korra questioned, her eyes twinkling mischievously in the poorly lit room.

Asami blushed furiously and coughed into her fist, trying to hide her embarrassment, "I just wasn't aware that this was a swimming party—" 

Opal chose that exact moment to interrupt them, "Yes you were, I was the one that told you and that's why you brought your allergy meds since you're allergic to chlorine and—oof—hey!" she exclaimed, frowning as she rubbed her side—which Asami may or may not have elbowed. 

But Korra took this all in stride, watching the two with amusement, her eyebrow creeping higher as Opal went on.

"Anyways," Asami coughed again, "How do you like the party so far?" she tried casually—emphasis on tried.

A smirk spread Korra's lips at Asami's pathetic attempt in changing the subject and why couldn't the earth just swallow her up already?

Korra shrugged, the smirk on her face morphing into something more genuine and Asami felt herself relax a little, "As good as a house party can be," she paused with a laugh, "All we need now is air conditioning and everything would be perfect," she joked.

"You're at a swimming party, which is the next best thing," Opal teased, but not before sending Asami a silent promise to be more careful with what leaves her mouth. Years of friendship made communication easier between them, going as far as not having to speak at all, "So really there's no need for you to worry about dying of dehydration,"

Korra laughed and Asami found the sound much more pleasant compared to the pounding music around them, "Now that you mention it, swimming sounds like a pretty good idea right about now," she said, craning her neck to scan their surroundings. 

Asami perked up, realizing that this was Korra's first time in Kuvira's home so obviously, she wouldn't know where to go, "Come on—we'll bring you there," she said with an easy smile, momentarily getting over her own awkwardness.

Korra gratefully returned her smile—much to Asami's delight—but waved her offer off good naturedly, "I'm 21, I think I can manage to find the yard on my own," she teased, her smile once again turning into a smirk.

Asami blushed lightly as her mouth went agape, "Oh god—no—I didn't mean—" she sputtered before she was cut off by a laugh from Korra. It was a hearty and genuine one and Asami found herself smiling at the girl.

"Don't worry, princess—I'm only slightly offended," she paused to watch Asami's eyes widen slightly in panic before laughing again, "I'm kidding, Asami. Loosen up a little," she said with that same smirk. Asami didn't think she'd ever get used to seeing that smirk.

Asami released a breath she didn't realize she was holding—Korra's smirk grew wider at that—and laughed nervously, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, "Sorry," Asami said lamely.

Korra smiled, "Don't be," she said genuinely, turning around to start walking away but kept her eyes on Asami, "See you later, princess," she said with a wink before disappearing into the crowd. Asami felt her face heat up and she was certain she had a great resemblance to a tomato at the moment.

She was still rewiring her currently short circuiting brain when she felt a finger poke her side. She jumped—damn all these people sneaking up on her—knowing for a fact it was Opal behind her despite having completely forgotten the girl's presence a minute ago.

But instead of looking offended, Opal looked amazed, her eyebrows quirked in awe, "I have _never_ seen you react to anyone—boy _or_ girl—that way before, I mean—you're no smooth talker, but you're no prude either." She raised her hand to stop Asami from protesting.

"All I'm saying is, you're completely out of your element the moment that girl's in the room," she paused as she studied Asami contemplatively, "What is it about her that's got you acting like you're constantly on edge?"

Asami looked away guiltily. Right at that moment, Asami wanted to tell Opal everything—everything that's been happening for the past month, her suspicions about Korra being her possible...whatever it was between them.

But Asami clamped her mouth shut. It wasn't the time nor the place.

Instead, she sighed heavily before meeting the curious eyes of her best friend, "I'm not sure," she said truthfully, because that's exactly what it was—the truth. She was just feeling around in the dark, unsure of what was happening and she just kept stumbling.

Opal seemed to contemplate on her words, probably sensing Asami knew more than what she was letting on and Asami found that she couldn't hold Opal's eyes, letting them stray once again just to find something else to look at.

Of course, they landed on a certain girl despite the crowd around them. Korra apparently did know where to go, seeing how she was standing by the pool outside.

Korra started to strip down to her bikini but thankfully, the people passing blocked her view before Asami could make a flustered fool out of herself. She quickly averted her eyes just in case.

"Asami," 

"Hmm?" she turned to face her friend once again and found that the girl had followed her line of sight and was currently smirking at her.

"Your ladyboner's showing."

Asami's jaw dropped, "Lady—I do not have a—" she sputtered, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to speak. She was almost a 100% certain she looked like a fish at the moment, only to be confirmed by a guffawing Opal.

She smacked the girl but couldn't fight the smile that found its way to her face. She was glad the awkwardness was behind them, at least for now.

"Kidding, kidding!" Opal laughed as she rubbed the spot on her arm that the girl had slapped, smirking at Asami's obvious discomfort. She opened her mouth the speak again but stopped herself when she spotted something over Asami's shoulder, "Korra's coming," she announced.

Asami spun on her heel quick enough to give herself whiplash but found no blue-eyed girls behind her. She turned to Opal with a glare, who challenged it with an innocent smile.

The raven-haired girl groaned and slumped in defeat, pressing her hands to her eyes, "Keep me off the alcohol, will you? I'm going to end up doing something extremely stupid tonight if I'm not sober," she relented with a sigh.

Opal smirked as she slung an arm around Asami's shoulders, "Remind me to congratulate Korra later."

 

* * *

 

 

About an hour later of successfully staying sober, Asami heard familiar voices from her spot on the couch—which she actually had to wrestle for and stake her claim on and goddamn, it was literally the survival of the fittest out here—and scanned the area for the source.

She twisted on her seat to find Bolin and Mako making their way through the crowd, faces close as they spoke to each other.

Asami managed to catch the last part of what Bolin was saying, "—know but really, what's a ladyboner?"

She started to walk toward the brothers—she couldn't find it in herself to care about her couch after what she heard—meeting them halfway and not bothering to make her presence known, making the two squeak out their surprise when she suddenly appeared before them.

She allowed herself to relish in the slightly panicked looks on their faces as she crossed her arms, shooting them a deadly glare, "It's what Opal's been spreading around, that's what,"

Mako was the first one to recover, quirking an eyebrow at her, "So you're saying none of what Opal said is true?"

Asami raised her eyebrow and set her jaw at the clear challenge, "That's exactly what I'm saying,"

"Please don't kill anyone in my home," Kuvira said in her way of greeting as she joined the group.

"Just in time, Kuv. Me and Bo would be goners if you came a second later." Mako joked, laughing at his own joke before letting out an oof when Asami elbowed him in the ribs.

Bolin's eyes went wide when Asami turned to face him, holding out his hands as if that would somehow stop her, "Woah there—I swear I'm innocent!"

"How some people believe Asami Sato is a kind, defenseless, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly walking ray of sunshine is beyond me," Kuvira said almost to herself but wasn't surprised when Asami gave her a smile that looked angelic to the untrained eye. But all three friends had years of experience under their belts.

"Because it's true," Asami said innocently before the smile on her face turned into something more sinister, "For them at least," she said dangerously.

Mako rubbed the side where Asami had hit him, "Advantages of being friends with Asami Sato," he said a bit disdainfully, but the roll of his eyes and the smile on his face gave him away.

She gave him her best impression of Cheshire Cat, the type of smile she knew got to Mako's nerves, "You can't resist me," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Bolin chose that exact moment to slide in with a serious expression on his face, his chin in his hand as he studied her closely, "With that face, I don't see why it would be so hard." he said eventually.

Exactly three seconds of silence.

Then it was broken by the sounds of running and squealing, courtesy of Bolin.

"There will be no killing today, Asami!" Kuvira was quick to defend Bolin as Asami chased him.

But when the boy ran to hide behind her, Kuvira immediately sidestepped, "But that doesn't mean I'll stand in her way if she really wants to," she said matter-of-factly.

That made Asami drop the act and join in on the laughter that erupted within their small group.

Opal quietly stepped in then, gingerly nibbling on a cookie—no doubt from her secret stash because no way would Opal even think of sharing her precious cookies—and looked at each person individually as she tried to clue herself in, "What's happening?" she said casually.

She moved to bite on her cookie but her hand stopped mid-air when Opal noticed Asami glaring at her, "What?" she said, clearly confused. 

Everyone in the group glanced nervously at Asami before silently telling Opal to run, but the girl was seemingly oblivious, resuming her munching on her cookie happily. 

Before the situation could escalate, Kuvira moved to block Asami's view of her sister, "I know you want to kill her—"

"Wait, what?!" Opal exclaimed from behind Kuvira.

"—and I completely understand, I want to kill her myself too sometimes—"

"Gee, thanks sis,"

"—but please don't kill her—"

"Aww you really do care—"

"—because I don't want to clean up after you and get rid of her body,"

"Hey!"

"Hello to you too, Opal," Korra suddenly appeared, glancing at all of them as she chewed on a cookie.

Everyone gaped at the cookie in the girl's hand before turning to look at Opal in disbelief—everyone was aware of the girl's track record when it came to sharing her cookies—only to find the girl staring at Korra incredulously. 

"How did you—" Opal started to ask, only for her to cut herself off when Korra shrugged, dusting off crumbs from her hands before opening her mouth to speak.

"Magic," she said dramatically, forming an explosion with her hands for added effect and everyone stared at her incredulously, "I'm kidding—I saw you walking away from a room and I got curious so I snooped around a little then I found your stash so I helped myself," she said casually before pulling another cookie seemingly from thin air and Asami already should've choked on the rage radiating off of Opal. 

The tension between their group was so thick that Asami already forgot about her earlier anger at Opal, merely watching the whole thing play out as one conflict turned into another. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who noticed this. 

Mako suddenly spoke up, raising his hands in surrender, "Okay that's enough—everybody split up,"

"Good idea," Bolin agreed eagerly, eyeing Asami from the corner of his eye cautiously, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?"

Mako stared at his brother before sighing, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he did so, "I don't think that applies in this situation, Bo,"

That's how Asami found herself glaring at her spot on the couch—now _occupied_ , mind you—and now she had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. She continued to glare at her stolen seat and Asami's pretty sure she made the boy sitting there more than a little nervous if the way he shifted on his seat uncomfortably meant anything. Asami wasn't mad at him, just annoyed with the fact that that was _her_ spot and _now she had nowhere else to go._

She huffed in annoyance—more at herself for leaving the spot in the first place—and turned to start walking towards the only other place in the house she could think of. 

For as long as Asami could remember—which really wasn't too long ago since she and her friends moved to Zaofu just a few years ago—she's spent as much time in Kuvira and Opal's place as much as she's spent in her own. She and her friends made a habit of barging into each other's homes like they owned the place. No one really minded, the company was welcome.

But if the group were to choose a place to hang out, the obvious answer would be the younger Beifongs' house. Being a college student meant thriving in small dorm spaces and Opal and Kuvira were one of the lucky few to actually live in an actual  _house_  and not a lousy apartment for a home. Not to mention the said house was frickin huge. Asami was once tempted to beg Suyin to adopt her just to get to live in the house but she figured her dad wouldn't take too kindly on that suggestion.

But nonetheless, everyone treated the house like a second home—so it was only natural for Asami to find her own space in the house.

She squeezed her way through sweaty bodies, the humid air sticking on her skin, her nose filling with the distinct scent of beer and other things that just screamed _college party_. She practically threw the front door open in her haste to get out. She never really liked crowds to begin with, much less one that held a promise of getting yourself vomited on by a random stranger.

Asami gratefully shut the door behind her, leaning on it as she took a moment to breathe in the cool night air. It was a welcome change after being in the house too long.

She pushed herself off of the door and started stalking toward the side of the house, where a swing set was put up by Suyin when her two friends were younger. Opal had complained about it, saying that they were too old for it now and that they should have it put away but Suyin was adamant on keeping it. Asami was secretly grateful.

The dew-covered grass was soft under her feet and Asami relished in the scent the earth under her released into the air with her every step. The air was significantly cooler outside, soothing her humid skin and Asami found herself feeling a little lighter than before.

The sound of her flats disturbing the grass beneath them was suddenly disturbed by a faint creaking, the sound becoming clearer with each step she took as she neared her destination. It took her a while to realize that the familiar creaking came from her swing—which meant it was in use.

"Are you kidding me," Asami hissed under her breath but dammit, she was determined. Squaring her shoulders, she stomped over to the swing, more than announcing her presence.

 _That swing is my baby dammit,_ she angrily thought to herself as she rounded the corner, _I'm going to give them a piece of my mind because no one else sits on my baby but me—_

"For a moment there, I thought Big Foot decided to move to the city,"

Asami practically skidded to a halt, her earlier animosity toward whoever was on the swing evaporating into the cool air when she realized who exactly was the object of her annoyance.

Korra sat on the swing with her legs folded beneath her in an Indian position, her hands resting lightly on the chains that held the swing. Asami couldn't help but notice the difficulty of her position but the girl seemed at ease, relaxed even. Blue eyes were staring right back at her, curiosity lingering in their depths as she studied the raven-haired girl.

Only when several moments had passed did Asami realize Korra had said something earlier and was probably waiting for a reply.

Asami shook her head to clear it but that didn't work, still unable to remember what the girl had said.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Asami prompted awkwardly once she realized she failed at making it seem like she was paying attention.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Korra's lips, "You were stomping around so I figured Big Foot decided to crash the party," she clarified with a shrug, smile still in place.

"Oh," Asami laughed nervously, "Nope, just me," _What is wrong with you, Asami?_ she thought to herself as she did a mental facepalm.

Korra laughed quietly but it didn't sound awkward at all, "What are you doing all the way over there?"

Asami realized then that she was standing in the same spot the whole time, subconsciously wringing her hands in front of herself. She couldn't find a good reason but her mouth decided for her apparently, "You're on my swing," she said casually before she could catch herself. It was a mental roundhouse kick on her head this time.

Korra raised an eyebrow at her then made a show of looking around the area, "I figured this was a public space since I don't see your name anywhere—"

Asami immediately walked over, her hands making wild gestures as she tried to explain herself, "Oh my god, I didn't mean—I mean—ugh—"

Korra interrupted her with loud laughter and Asami just stared at the guffawing girl before crossing her arms, but she couldn't stop the smile that fought its way to her face.

"I swear to god, you're starting to enjoy my discomfort too much, Korra," Asami said with a shake of her head.

Her smile only grew when Korra placed a hand on her chest, pretending to take offense at her accusation, "I would never," she said seriously before dropping the act with her signature smirk and Asami started to relax.

Asami's only response was to roll her eyes good-naturedly before Korra stood from her perch on the swing and that's when Asami realized how close she got to the other girl, only a foot's worth of space between them once Korra rose to her full height.

Asami had half a mind to take a step back but she wasn't given that option when Korra suddenly took her by the shoulders and moved her to stand in front of the swing.

Korra gave her a nudge, prompting the raven-haired girl to sit, "You can have your swing back by the way, since you made it so clear that this is your swing," she teased.

Asami blushed, groaning as she hid her face in her hands, "You make me sound like such a horrible person," she muttered, her voice muffled behind her hands.

There was a moment of silence before she heard Korra reply so quietly—almost as if she were speaking to herself—that Asami almost didn't catch her words.

"Then what does that make me?" she heard her say, making Asami drop hands onto her lap and look up to meet the other girl's eyes.

Korra wasn't looking at her though, choosing instead to stare at the front of the house but Asami had a feeling she wasn't paying any particular attention to anything, the girl suddenly distant. Asami opened her mouth to speak but shut it with a snap when she realized she didn't know what to say, what she could say.

However, Korra spared her that burden, setting her gaze back on Asami with a smile, as if her mind hadn't been somewhere else for the past minute. Asami would've waved it off as nothing, but the smile Korra gave her now was different. When it was genuine a moment ago, it held a hidden sadness now.

Asami assumed the smile was supposed to be teasing but it seemed like there was a hint of wistfulness to it to her, sending a slight pang through Asami's heart, that same familiar feeling of protectiveness suddenly coursing through her veins.

"I think the rules prohibited anyone in the group to be in the same place," Korra said quietly, glancing back at the house before meeting the raven-haired girl's eyes once again as she took a step back, "I think I'm going to head back inside—"

"No!" Asami, before she could stop herself, suddenly shouted from her spot on the swing, her body seemingly decided on staying still. Apparently her mind had other ideas, like so many other times that night.

But at least it effectively stopped the other girl from walking away. Korra turned again to face her, confusion evident in her features as she waited expectantly. But Asami didn't know what to say, why she stopped the girl from leaving.

So Asami willingly let her mind speak for her, "I don't want you to go," she said honestly.

Korra just blinked at her but Asami wasn't backing down this time. She met her gaze evenly without falter, suddenly filled powered by a bout of courage.

But that courage didn't last long when Korra stood frozen in place, mere silence greeting Asami's implied question. Just when Asami was about to take back what she said, Korra gave her a genuine smile—albeit a little hesitant—and it was enough to calm Asami's nerves.

"You know, if you wanted to hangout with me, you could've just asked," Korra teased and Asami felt her face heat up.

"Shut up," she muttered, blushing for what felt like the umpteenth time that night. That didn't stop the smile that reached her lips however.

Korra chuckled quietly as she stalked over to the swing set, claiming the only other seat which was just a few inches away from the raven-haired girl, just enough for Asami to reach out and touch the other girl easily. She smothered that urge as Korra positioned herself in the same manner Asami had seen earlier.

Silence enveloped them for a while and Asami was surprised to find that it wasn't uncomfortable, in fact it was the complete opposite. She glanced over at her companion—shamelessly at that, no longer hiding behind her hair or any other disguise that could make her staring a little more discreet.

Korra was looking up at the night sky, the moon bathing her skin in its cold light—draining her of color but her blue eyes seemed as bright as ever. At first glance, the girl would seem relaxed and maybe that's what she was aiming for, but Asami thought she saw the earlier sadness in the slight slump of Korra's shoulders.

"What did you mean earlier?" Asami said quietly, finally giving in to her curiosity.

Korra almost looked surprised when she turned to face Asami, as if she had completely forgotten about the other girl's presence. Asami didn't blame her though—the blue-eyed girl seemed immersed in her own thoughts.

Korra tilted her head to the side in question, her eyes like spotlights in the dark, "What are you talking about?" she asked, but the way she said it implied that she at least had an idea.

Asami looked down at her clasped hands on her lap, suddenly unsure if broaching the subject was a good idea after all.

"A while ago—when I said I was a horrible person," she started with some trepidation. She bit her bottom lip, but inhaled deeply before continuing, "You asked what that made you,"

Asami had to suppress a flinch when Korra immediately looked away, but she figured it was too late to back out now, "What did you mean by that?" she finally said.

She could see Korra pursing her lips together, her eyes flicking around absently as she was once again deep in thought. There was a negative feeling—Asami couldn't figure out what exactly—that was radiating off of the other girl and Asami knew she messed up.

"Look," Asami breathed out, finally breaking the tense silence that formed between them, "I promise I'll understand if you don't want to answer that—"

"No—I mean, yes—ugh," Korra groaned as her face fell into her hands, taking a moment to take deep breaths to calm herself.

The outburst shocked Asami to say the least but she chose to wait patiently, giving Korra time to collect herself.

The other girl extracted her face from her hands, choosing instead to place them under her chin as she let out a quiet sigh. Maybe she felt Asami studying her because after a while she pressed her cheek against her hands to meet the raven-haired girl's gaze.

Asami took this moment to study the other girl—not chance eye contact or glances from the corner of her eye—but to really _look_  at her.

Asami always found those blue eyes alluring, but tonight they practically glowed even under the dim light of the moon above them, making it seem like they had a light of their own, the bright color contrasting beautifully against the girl's dark skin. Her chopped dark hair was pulled back with a tie, revealing defined cheekbones and a sharp jaw line, but those features were softened by flushed cheeks. Korra blinked and looked away once again, turning her face enough that the moonlight glinted off of something on the skin of her jaw—only then did Asami notice the jagged scar that ran there. She let her eyes trace the pale line and she fought the urge to reach over and let her fingertips feel instead.

_She's beautiful._

The thought was smothered just as quickly as it came, but that didn't stop it from lingering in the corners of Asami's mind. She supposed there was nothing wrong with appreciating the other girl's beauty. Maybe Asami was just taken aback because the girl seemed so rugged that it was a little surprising to notice her more delicate features. Yeah, that's it. She was just surprised is all.

Keep telling yourself that, Asami, another part of her said, but Asami was quick to smother that thought too.

"Korra," she said suddenly, distracting herself before her mind could venture into more dangerous territories, "You really don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"

"It's not that," Korra said with her eyes still squeezed shut before shifting her attention from their surroundings to Asami having significantly calmed down after her earlier outburst.

"It's just not easy for me to open up," she said, fiddling with the red string around her wrist, something Asami recognized as a girl's nervous habit.

"But something about you makes me want to," Korra admitted after a while, a small smile adorning her lips.

A warm feeling blossomed in Asami's chest. She couldn't exactly name the feeling, but she remained silent, quietly encouraging the other girl.

Korra breathed out a sigh, glancing back at the moon as if it would help her get the words out of her mouth.

"After tryouts, we all decided to go our separate ways to get ready, right?" Something told Asami that it was a rhetorical question, but she nodded anyways.

Korra seemed to appreciate the gesture, taking it as a cue to continue, "I didn't really need the time, but I figured that I might as well take the opportunity to call back home,"

Asami had no idea where this was leading but she could tell Korra wasn't used to confiding in others so it was only natural for her to take her time, to let herself warm up to the girl. That much was obvious in the slight scrunch of her eyebrows—Asami appreciated the fact that the girl was trying.

"It was going pretty well—a few quips here and there but nothing unusual," Korra shrugged before continuing, "Of course that meant the insults and accusations would come,"

Her blue eyes cast downwards at her hands as she twisted the red string around her wrist, "I really don't blame her for being mad at me," Korra said honestly, "I'd be mad too if someone treated my family like shit when all they did was give love and unending support,"

Asami's eyebrows flew up at the sudden confession. She tried to hide her surprise but she figured she wasn't faring too well since Korra gave her a sad smile.

"Guess I'm just the ungrateful bitch who doesn't know what's been good to her 'til it's gone," she shrugged again before looking back down at her feet but there was a slight slump to her shoulders when they dropped down, "I figured it was about time they gave up on me,"

Asami stared at the side of Korra's face, her lips parted to speak but no words came out. She wanted to say something—anything—but she had nothing to say.

"Regret asking about it in the first place?" the sadness Asami had seen earlier in Korra's eyes had manifested in the strained smile the girl gave her now.

Asami shook her head before staring at the other girl in disbelief, "You can't possibly believe that your family would just give up on you," she meant for it to be a statement, but it ended up sounding more like a question.

Korra turned her body to properly face Asami, blue eyes boring into the other girl as she studied her intensely, her head cocked to the side either in challenge or actual curiosity for what Asami thought, "Why else would I move all the way here?"

Asami opened her mouth to reply but once again, nothing came out. Uncharacteristically, Korra didn't seem to be in the mood to gloat because really, she wasn't actually winning was she?

She wasn't so determined to hold the other girl's eyes after that, hating the fact that by asking about what was worrying the girl, she had only managed deepen the cut. Shame flooded her in waves.

Asami once again looked down at her clasped hands then suddenly, words flew to the forefront of her mind and escaping her lips before she could do anything about it.

"I never knew my mom," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper but she felt eyes on her so she supposed her words didn't go unheard, her timid and calm exterior masking the true panic she felt. The words just escaped her lips without her noticing until it was staring right at her. She never brought up the sore subject and only the closest of her friends actually knew about her mom. So when she blurted it out to Korra—well, she was more than a little surprised.

Hesitantly, Asami looked up to meet those eyes and was almost surprised to find a mixture of sympathy and understanding swimming in the blue depths. Asami didn't know where she was going with this, but she got the look of self-hatred out of Korra's eyes so she must be doing something right—never mind the dangerous fact that Asami trusted the girl unconditionally.

"She died shortly after giving birth to me." she said in one breath, shutting her eyes as if to brace herself.

After a short moment of silence—Asami dreading having mentioned it at all, thinking it was stupid since Korra couldn't possibly care—she heard the girl break the silence.

"I'm sorry," Korra said quietly, but Asami heard it loud and clear. Oddly enough, Asami didn't wave the usually empty response off.

It didn't feel like it was said because Korra felt she was obligated to or because she had nothing else to say—but as if she actually was sorry. It was in that moment Asami realized why the condolences she received from other people felt so wrong. Maybe she was reading too much into just two simple words, but she took it to heart anyways.

Absentmindedly giving Korra a small but grateful smile, Asami felt her emerald eyes being drawn towards the moon, much like the the girl earlier. Asami understood why Korra kept looking up at the heavenly body—there was a certain feeling of calm that spread throughout her body just from looking at the pale light.

That same calm reached as far as her fingertips and soon enough, Asami found words slipping from her lips with ease. She couldn't help but wonder if the moon really was the one responsible for the feeling.

A quick glance at Korra from the corner of her eye and Asami decided maybe it wasn't the moon. Maybe it was just Korra.

"I guess I can't really say I lost someone since I never knew them in the first place, but when my mom died—it affected my father pretty badly, even going as far as blaming me for her death," she said almost robotically, just going through the motions of telling her story, but there always was that hint of sadness that planted itself into her heart whenever she thought about that time.

Korra was silent beside her but she felt more than saw the girl's attention on her so Asami pushed on, "Growing up with a father that pins your mother's death on you isn't pleasant and it stayed that way for a very long time," she said in a hushed tone, the sadness in her chest blossoming at the reminder of her childhood, "He didn't treat me badly or anything—he still acknowledged me and he never did anything to hurt me—but he never let me in, always closing himself off when I got too close and as a child, I never got the kind of affection most children already had."

She looked away from the glowing celestial body to glance at Korra who hasn't uttered a single word since she started speaking. She found the girl staring at her intently and the sadness Asami felt seemed to reflect off of Korra's eyes.

Asami gave her a reassuring smile, "I like to think I turned out fine," she joked, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

Korra returned her smile, "An understatement, if you ask me," she said honestly. Asami had to cough to hide the blush reaching her cheeks. She heard Korra chuckle quietly.

"Anyway," Asami deflected, "I came to accept the fact that that was how things were and it'll never change so I just had to adjust to it—and for a while, it worked.

"But one day—just a few years back actually," she gave a slight shrug, "I don't know, things changed.

"I was having dinner alone—not an unusual feat may I remind you—when my father sat down beside me. I assumed it was nothing at the time, thinking he just needed a place to sit after working all day,

"I distinctly remember nearly jumping off my seat when I heard him speak and I'm extremely certain I looked like I saw a ghost. The words that left his mouth was so unexpected that I had to slowly repeat each word he said just to make sure I heard it right." she paused as her mind was filled with the memory, a small smile reaching her lips without her notice.

"He asked me if I wanted to go to a theme park in the morning," Asami let out a small laugh, "Just imagine the look on my face: a girl—whose father only spoke to her once a day _at most—_ gets invited at the last minute by said father to the theme park, despite the girl being 17-years-old." she shook her head at the ridiculous memory, "But I loved every second of it,"

She turned to direct her smile—which grew to a full sized one—at the girl beside her and was surprised to a smile tugging at the corners of Korra's lips.

"It's a work-in-progress—we're still building that father-daughter relationship and I can tell he's really trying this time." another shrug, "We both recognize the fact that it was wrong to have started that many years after my mother's death, but hey—better late than never, right?"

Asami sighed happily at the memory before pushing it aside to deal with the task at hand, meeting Korra's gaze and making sure to hold it, "The point is—my father didn't even deserve to be called a father for so many years but I always held a little hope that things would get better between us. It took him forever to do just that, but in the end, the fact that he did is all that matters." before she could back down, Asami crossed the space between them and placed her hand on Korra's.

Both girls looked down at their joined hands, the sight too familiar, "I know it looks bad for you right now, but all I'm asking of you is that you don't give up in your family because—while I don't know everything about your situation—I know from experience that family will always be there for you and they'll love you no matter what."

Asami let her thumb brush along Korra's scarred knuckles, both pairs of eyes watching the action intently, "You believe they gave up on you, but I know what it feels like to be disappointed by someone you love and we're only human—that means we can lash out when we get hurt, but that doesn't mean we stop loving the person who hurt us.

"I know things aren't so great right now, but you will _never_  be alone," Asami said seriously.

Korra looked up from where her eyes were focused on their intertwined hands and met the emeralds in front of her, holding them intensely.

"How can you be so sure?" she said, her voice betraying a vulnerability Asami never thought she'd hear from the other girl. That's how she realized Korra was debating whether she could depend on her, whether to rely on her or not.

 

 _"Hey, everything's going to be okay," Asami whispered,_ _"I'm not leaving you behind."_

 

She straightened in her seat, determination suddenly coursing through her veins. She squeezed the hand in hers, meeting the eyes on her with equal intensity, "Because even if the whole fucking world is against you," Korra's eyebrows rose slightly at her word choice, but Asami pushed on, "I'm going to be right by your side."

Korra broke her gaze and looked down once again at her lap, where their hands were still clasped together.

 _Oh god, what if she thought what I said was creepy?_ Asami felt panic surge through her and she was quick to do some damage control, immediately pulling back and effectively bringing her hand back to herself, "That's what friends are for, after all," she said rather hastily.

The other girl continued to stare at her as if to silently weigh her words in her mind and Asami pushed all her awkwardness aside, meeting the other girl's gaze evenly.

"People I trusted—people I've known my whole life—gave me promises and I held on to them, only to have them broken in the end," she said, her facial expression unchanging, but there was still that same vulnerability in her voice that she couldn't quite hide, "I made it a point to make sure I never get hurt by broken promises again."

Then her face took on a more wary—yet curious, almost to the point of innocent—expression, "You're asking me to break down my walls to let you—a person I barely know—in," she said honestly, her eyes flicking between Asami's own as if she would find answers there, "How do I know you won't break yours as well?"

 

_"Do you trust me?"_

_"Of course,"_

 

Asami's heart broke—not because the girl was skeptical about her, no—it broke because it became clear to her that Korra has been hurt to the point of closing herself off to anyone who could possibly care for her. Korra kept impossibly high expectations and Asami already felt the pressure of that but something pushed her—she had to do something, anything to get rid of that pain so visible in those blue eyes. What caused Korra to hold that much pain in, she didn't know.

But Asami told her what she did know, "The past month has been one of the most confusing of my life—ever since you came. Every time I wanted answers, I just got more questions in return,"

Subconsciously, her eyes flicked down to the string around Korra's wrist, "But I know one thing for sure,"

"There's something about you, Korra—even you told me the same thing yourself earlier," she paused to think of a way to make her next words as subtle as possible, "In the short time we've known each other—it just—I don't know—something happened,"

 _Understatement of the year,_ she thought to herself with a mental eyeroll. A storm suddenly formed in Korra's eyes, something that looked almost like fear muddling the blue, but Asami ignored it for now, set on her mission.

 

_"I'm not leaving you behind." Asami repeated, "Whether you want it or not, I'm not going anywhere."_

_"You always were stubborn,"_

 

"I don't know what to make of it," she said honestly, "But I do know that it's there,"

She licked her lips nervously before pushing her next words out of her mouth before she could back down, "I'm asking you to place your trust on—whatever it is between us," she said as she gestured at the space between them.

Asami shrugged, her shoulders slumping at her uncertainty, "Let me be your friend," she said finally. 

Silence spread like a thick fog between them. For Asami, asking Korra to trust on their...ugh, whatever it was between them—meant everything to her. But from an outsider's point of view, it sounded like a pathetic excuse and the raven-haired girl was suddenly very much aware of the fact that she still wasn't sure where Korra stood in the situation. Asami immediately realized the possible consequences of her actions—say, getting thrown into the nearest mental ward.

But then Korra let a breath slip past her lips, melting the once tense air between them with a warm smile, "Okay,"

Asami's eyebrows nearly flew off her forehead, "Wait, what?"

The smile the other girl gave her shifted, forming into something Asami was more familiar with, "I said okay," Korra said, her smirk returning to its former glory by the second.

 _Well, that was unexpected,_ Asami thought disbelievingly to herself. It was very clear to her that this was the perfect window, the perfect opportunity for her to ask and finally talk about her suspicions and thoughts regarding the dreams, maybe even confirm them. But looking back at how sensitive the past few minutes—hour?—grew, she figured there was a time and place for everything and confronting a still very vulnerable girl just after she had assured the said girl of her trust didn't sound a very good idea and—

Wait.

She said okay.

Korra just said _okay_.

_Korra let her in._

That same feeling blossomed in her chest at the thought, the warmth only spreading with each second that passed, "Okay," Asami repeated with a breathy laugh, a cheesy smile no doubt forming on her lips.

Korra rolled her eyes, "Dream come true much?" she teased sarcastically, but her smile betrayed her.

Asami blushed nonetheless, "Shut up," she muttered, clamping down the cheesy smile and failing epically.

Korra laughed heartily, throwing her head back and Asami found herself laughing along despite it was her being laughed at.

"As much as I love getting all emotional with some good ol' heart-to-heart conversations," Korra said once she recovered, brushing herself off as she stood, "I can no longer feel the amount of alcohol I drank—and trust me, there was a lot—and I'm annoyingly sober,"

"Can't have that, can we?" Asami retorted with a teasing smile.

If she were being completely honest, she was more than a little disappointed that their moment had ended. It's not that she wasn't glad Korra was back to being herself—it broke her heart just remembering how vulnerable the girl had looked—but moving past it meant that Korra would leave and maybe even leave the moment behind as well, a repetition of their lunch together. Asami hated it as well as dreaded it, but that didn't mean she hasn't accepted the possibility.

"Nope," Korra confirmed with a smirk, "And since you are the sole reason I am now—dare I say it—sober," she said, a shiver going through her at the mention of the word, which Asami couldn't help but laugh at despite her inner turmoil, "You're going to help me return to my former state of inebriation," she said finally.

Asami was surprised her eyebrows were still attached to her face given the number of times they flew up in surprise. She was so sure that Korra would once again ditch her—which really says something about her judgement, like really, when did she become such a pessimist?

She was so focused on wondering what the heck was wrong with her that she almost missed how Korra's eyes danced around nervously as she bit down on her lower lip, her arms crossing almost protectively in front of herself. Then it hit Asami like a tsunami.

She was so caught up in her own insecurities that she didn't stop to consider how the other girl felt. She hadn't considered that Korra was also uncertain of what she could do and the results of those actions. It became clear to her in that moment that Korra was confused too but she was trying.

"Well, in that case," Asami gave Korra her most reassuring smile before rising off of her seat and moving to stand in front of the other girl, "We better get started, don't you think?" she said over her shoulder as she started to head back toward the house.

"On our way to get wasted," Korra mused to herself once she caught up to the raven-haired girl, "Is this what friendship's all about?" she asked mock-innocently.

It was Asami's turn to roll her eyes goodnaturedly, "Sure," she said as they rounded the corner, "That and shopping and getting our nails done and talk about the cute boys—" Korra let out a sound of disgust and Asami chuckled.

She turned to settle her eyes on her companion, seeing the blue-eyed girl scrunch up her nose and Asami let out a laugh. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder which part Korra found disgusting, her mind lingering on the last part of what she said.

"I take it back," Korra said with disgust still evident on her features, "Friendship doesn't sound so appealing after all,"

"You should've read the fine print of the terms and conditions before you agreed to this friendship, Korra," Asami teased, "Too late to back out now,"

"Who's gonna stop me? You?" Korra deadpanned.

"Yup."

"I can make you disappear."

"I'm sure you can,"

"I have a shovel in the back of my car."

"If you say so, friend,"

"Don't call me that—the word-that-shall-not-be-mentioned makes me a little nauseous,"

"Well if that's the case then I think we should keep you away from the alcohol,"

"On second thought—I think I feel much better now,"

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay, just making sure you're okay, _friend_ ,"

Asami laughed when Korra made a retching noise, her arms flailing around dramatically as she ran away from her—no doubt heading to the bar.

The raven-haired girl shook her head with a chuckle and made to locate the girl amongst the crowd. It didn't take her long, considering how the girl stopped not too far away from her, blue eyes watching Asami fondly as Korra waited patiently with a smile. Asami ducked her head to hide the blush forming on her cheeks.

But she couldn't hide the contented smile that found its way to her lips.

 

* * *

 

 

Asami wasn't smiling anymore—in fact, it was the complete opposite.

How she found herself driving Korra's Jeep with the said owner snoring in the passenger seat beside her—what could she have possibly done to have the universe be so cruel to her? She sighed as she slumped back in her seat—which smelled faintly of cigarettes—trying to recall how she got dragged into the situation in the first place.

I look away for one goddamn second and she's already gone, _Asami thought bitterly to herself as she weaved through the crowd in search of the girl that quickly went from being Asami's happy little pill to being the pain in her ass. But under all her annoyance and frustration at the girl, the most overwhelming feeling that nagged at her was worry._

 _Asami did a mental checklist as she tried to enumerate all the drinks she saw Korra drink. A couple of Jägerbombs, Jim Beam, Grey Goose, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, a minute's worth of a keg of Bud Light, okay everyone knows beer isn't supposed to taste that bad so why the heck does everyone keep drinking it—aaaaand she's going to stop right there. Just thinking about the amount of alcohol the other girl drank was enough to make_ Asami _sick and seriously consider quitting drinking for life—but clearly, Korra was a completely different story._

_At the corner of her eye, Asami saw a flash of tan skin clad in white—and while that could've been anyone, Asami headed toward that direction. It was the only lead she had as to Korra's whereabouts. She had to make sure her newfound friend stayed safe._

_She managed to squeeze through the crowded space to reach the door she thought she saw Korra head towards—the same door they entered just an hour ago._

Only, Korra was blissfully sober at that time, _Asami thought with a roll of her eyes as she slipped past the crack of the door, her skin enveloped once again in the cool night air._

_She didn't have to try to hard to locate Korra, considering how the girl was more stumbling than walking towards her Jeep._

_Asami spotted keys in the girl's hand and she ran over to the girl, swiping them from clumsy fingers as Korra fumbled with the car door._

_"Hey!" Korra exclaimed, her face indignant before her eyes widened in recognition when she saw Asami pocketing her keys._

_"What do you think you're doing," she demanded, which Asami would've taken seriously if the girl wasn't slurring, her blue eyes visibly focusing and unfocusing._

_Asami waved off the obvious threat, "Stopping you from getting yourself killed," she deadpanned, her arms crossed as she watched Korra, eyeing her every movement cautiously just in case the girl got any ideas._

_But Korra merely deflated, her shoulders slumping and her foot stomping once on the ground. This was a side Asami had never seen on the girl and it was incredibly amusing._

_"But I just wanted to go to the park," Korra whined childishly, her lower lip jutting out in a pout and while Asami found the sight endearing, she remained adamant._

_"Not in this state, you're not," she said with a tone of finality, which Korra clearly recognized given the loud groan she gave that seemed reserved for children who didn't get what they want. Korra crossed her arms as well, imitating Asami's position but in a more rebellious approach._

_"You're no fun," she said, her eyebrows coming together as her pout deepened, "Sour puss," she almost muttered to herself._

_But Asami heard it and she couldn't stop the amused laughter that escaped her, making the other girl look up, her face taking a more confused expression._

_"I said I wouldn't let you drive like this," she explained once she recovered from her laughter, "But that doesn't mean I can't take you myself," she said with a clever smile._

_And just like that, Korra popped up like a helium balloon, jumping in place as her face lit up in delight. She smiled a wide crooked grin Asami has never seen her wear before and the raven-haired girl could say that this one was officially her favorite._

The dashboard of the Jeep suddenly glowed under a green light and Asami shook herself from her thoughts, looking up to check the stoplight indicating her turn.

Always a safe driver, Asami checked both sides before gently easing on the pedal as she crossed the intersection.

Seeing the empty road—the dashboard clock told her it was almost 3 in the morning—she allowed herself to relax a bit, leaning back slightly on the seat and loosening her grip on the wheel until the car was idled in front of the park.

She set the car on park and twisted in her seat to face the girl beside her, "Hey, we're here," she said into the quiet space.

Suddenly aware of the fact that the girl hasn't spoken in the past few minutes, Asami prodded lightly at Korra's arm once, a little harder on the second, then all but shook the girl's shoulder when Korra didn't respond. A light snore rattled out of the girl's chest, confirming Asami's thoughts. Korra had  _officially_  passed out on her.

 _"Goddamnit,"_ Asami cursed to herself.

She made to wake the other girl up but stopped in her tracks when she took in the sleeping girl. Her chest rose and fell steadily, light breath puffing out of her slightly parted lips with every exhale. Her expression serene under the dimly lit night, smoothing out the creases on her face, making the girl look calmer—a huge contrast to how she always was when awake.

Asami sighed, annoyed with herself when she realized she couldn't wake Korra up, not when the girl looked so peaceful at the moment.

She picked up her phone from where she placed it in the cup holder and unlocked it. After a quick scroll through her contacts, she tapped the green button on the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. She only had to wait for while before the ringing was cut off by a familiar voice, thick and slightly husky with sleep yet warm and welcoming as always.

"Hey Su, sorry to disturb you so late—uh, early—but I was wondering if you could help me with something."

 

* * *

 

 

Korra opened her eyes and went straight into panic mode because she could see absolutely _nothing_. She was subconsciously aware of the soft surface she was currently lying on, but fuck, she can't see _shit_.

 _Was it possible to go blind after drinking too much? Dammit, I should've paid attention to science class and maybe then I could te—_ Oh god, _what if I'm_ dead _? Oh god I'm hyperventilating—do ghosts even hyperventilate—I'll never know because I never paid attention fucking_ science class _—_

"—worrying, okay? I'm just here to drop her off," Korra heard a familiar voice say, muffled as if the person was speaking from behind a door.

That was enough to interrupt her little mental breakdown and allow her to properly take in her surroundings. After a while, Korra concluded that she was in fact _not_ blind, just inside a very dark room. Without getting off her back, she ran her fingertips across the expanse of the area around her, feeling the smooth fabric of what felt like a bed sheet. As a final measure, she licked her lips and let out a low whistle experimentally, releasing a sigh of relief upon hearing the familiar bark of her husky, Naga.

She folded her arms at her sides and used the leverage to push herself off of the bed. Given her still-drunken state, she severely miscalculated and ended up shooting off the bed too quickly, sending a wave of dizziness through her skull.

Korra gripped her head between her hands, letting out a low groan at the pounding in her temples. Well _shit_ , if it was painful now, she couldn't wait for the huge hangover in the morning.

She heard her door open—she knew because she's been trying to fix that creak for like fucking ever—and dim light spilled into the room, illuminating her surroundings slightly. It took her a while to focus her hazy vision but eventually she registered a silhouette standing in the doorway.

"Oh my god, Opal—how many times do I have to tell you this? I drove over here to bring her home and I'm walking straight back to your place so stop coming up with dirty ide—" the dark figure whispered the last part before cutting herself off.

"Hey O? I'll call you when I'm back," the silhouette said dismissively before dropping its hand—along with the phone, Korra assumed—to its side.

"You're awake," the silhouette stated simply a moment later.

Korra snorted at the figure, "I wouldn't go that far," she ended up slurring when she meant to go for her usual sarcastic bite.

The silhouette chuckled as it made its way through the darkness, "Well it's still a drastic change from how you were in your car," the silhouette said as it hovered above her.

Korra groaned again—caused by both the reminder and another wave of dizziness, "Sorry about that," she managed after the wave passed, "Guess I ended up drinking more than planned,"

"An understatement, if you ask me," the silhouette said in a teasing manner. Korra recognized the statement, seeing how she herself had said the same thing to the dark figure in front of her a few hours ago. Then she actually was blinded when the room was suddenly bathed in light. She quickly raised her hands to

"What the f—it's too _bright_ ," Korra whined.

Asami stood by her bedside, her hand poised on the lamp switch she had just flipped, a smirk adorning her lips.

"Consequences of making me drive you home," she teased before waving her free hand at the space beside Korra's head, indicating the items she placed on the bedside table.

"I snooped around a little and grabbed the first bottle of aspirin I found along with some water," Korra didn't think it was possible for the smirk on Asami's face to grow any bigger at that point, "I have a feeling you'll be needing it in the morning and—"

The girl continued to speak to her but Korra long stopped paying attention, her drunken mind suddenly deciding to focus on the image before her; raven black hair that still seemed iridescent as it fell past her shoulders in waves, green eyes so light that it would would almost lose its color at times like this, porcelain skin that always seemed impossibly pale and delicate and while Korra had already found Asami gorgeous, it just hit her how the girl's beauty seemed almost ethereal. There was a twinge in her heart and Korra was quick to label it as jealousy.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, Korra suddenly felt extremely tired, her eyelids already starting to droop down in exhaustion. She immediately snapped them open and refocused them on the girl speaking to her when she realized this, but apparently she wasn't the only one who noticed.

Asami glanced at the digital clock on the desk before looking down to meet Korra's eyes once again, "It's getting really late," she stated.

Korra, not quite paying attention as sleep threatened to overcome her, hummed quietly in reply, her eyelids dropping down even farther. She could hear Asami chuckle and the sound brought a small smile to Korra's lips without her notice.

She could hear footsteps and her door creaking open before, "See you soon, Korra," then as if an afterthought, "Tonight was fun,"

Then the events of that night flashed behind her shut eyes.

"Wait!" Korra exclaimed, her body rigid as she shot up in bed, finding herself wide awake. But again, she severely miscalculated and the dizziness came, immediately throwing her off balance. Thankfully, Asami appeared at her side at a speed faster than she could blink, placing her hands on Korra's shoulders to balance her.

"Woah—slow down there, champ," she joked, but Korra saw concern flashing in her green eyes, "What's wrong?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed, letting go of Korra but staying close enough to catch her just in case.

A million things went through Korra's mind, a million things she wished to say, _Today was really fucked up and I tried drinking away my problems tonight but that didn't work so I just ended up really fucking wasted but you were there to take care of me and you being here somehow makes me feel better and I can almost forget that I'm a horrible person—_

"Stay," she said simply, as if that would convey everything she wanted to say.

Asami merely stared at her, emeralds flicking between her sapphires as she studied her. After a moment, it finally dawned on her how odd her request had sounded, said so casually like she were asking for a cup of tea.

"It's just that—" she started to explain but realized she couldn't—even now her pride wouldn't allow it.

She started on a different path, a safer one, "I heard you talking to Opal earlier and well—its dangerous to be out in the streets this late," At least it sounded believable.

Asami continued to study her, as if she wasn't quite convinced or she simply believed there was more to it—which is the truth after all—but nodded eventually, "Okay,"

"Wait, what?" Korra almost expected the girl to decline for some reason.

"I said okay," Asami said with a smirk and that's when Korra realized why the conversation felt familiar. She chuckled awkwardly before letting the conversation settle into companionable silence.

There was a moment when no one moved after Asami had switched off the light, the two girls merely taking the other in under the moonlight when Korra realized she had to be the one to make the first move. She scooted onto one side of the queen sized bed she was currently on and waited nervously.

Korra averted her eyes quickly when Asami moved to shrug off her jacket, a blush warming her already flushed cheeks. Why she acted like a prude when the other girl was doing something so innocent was beyond her.

She hadn't realized Asami had already taken her place on the bed until the girl placed her fingertips to rest lightly on Korra's wrist. The blue-eyes girl looked down to where their skin met, realizing that she had been absentmindedly fiddling with the string on her wrist before bringing her attention to attention to the girl beside her.

Asami gave her a reassuring smile and Korra found herself breathing a little bit easier.

"Thank you for letting me stay, Korra," she said into the calm quiet space between them.

A small smile crept its way to Korra's lips, "Anytime, princess,"

And with that, Korra shifted and turned to settle on her side, her back facing her new companion. She could feel the bed shift beneath her as Asami settled in, counting the seconds before the only sounds that remained in the room were the crickets chirping outside her window and their steady breathing.

She let her eyelids drift shut as she waited for her mind to drift into its dream state. She waited until milliseconds became seconds and as seconds became minutes but sleep still evaded her. She turned again to lay on her back until she was looking up at the ceiling, watching the patterns the tree outside her window made on the plain surface, her mind too unsettled to let sleep take over.

There was another shift in the bed but Korra dismissed it, knowing for a fact that it was perfectly natural to move in one's slumber. She tensed, however, when she felt fingertips lightly brush against her knuckles as her hand lay limp by her side.

Apparently even Asami couldn't sleep with all her loud thinking. Not quite wanting to meet the green eyes she knew was watching her, she looked down at the hand tentatively touching hers, the touch akin to a feather on her skin.

"I don't know if this would mean anything to you or if it would make a difference," Asami whispered into the moonlit space, surprising Korra as she broke the silence, blue eyes looking up to study the girl that lay beside her.

Asami's eyes were cast downwards, her eyes settled on where Korra's own were earlier as she lay on her side, her fingertips continuing their feather-like touches on the outside of Korra's hand.

Green eyes met hers in the dark but Korra could see them as clear as day.

"But for what it's worth, I think you only let people see the facade you put up in order to protect yourself—" Asami continued, not once faltering as she spoke.

"But I see right through it, Korra, and I think they're missing out on something amazing," Asami whispered reverently, her emeralds gazing intently into the other girl's sapphires and damn if Korra didn't feel a flutter start deep within her chest.

She wanted to say something in return—she really did—but she realized there were no words which could properly describe how she was feeling. There were too many emotions going through her—gratitude, sadness, relief, fear, disbelief and one she couldn't quite name—she didn't know how to process it all so she didn't speak.

Instead, she looked back down at their hands and slowly twisted her wrist until her palm was facing the ceiling. Carefully, she shifted her hand until Asami's fingertips were resting on her own.

Korra's skin became hypersensitive when their fingers weaved together, loosely intertwined in the small space between between them.

She looked up hesitantly and met the eyes watching her intently. A smile slowly formed on the other girl's lips, eyes dancing with warmth and understanding.

Korra let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding and releasing it in a sigh of relief, the action making Asami's eyelids to flutter shut, a small smile gracing her lips even as her breathing grew steady with sleep.

But Korra was stayed awake as she lay on her side, allowing her eyes to roam and study the face that was just a few inches away from hers. Blue eyes took in the peaceful features of the girl in front of her and she eventually fell asleep, the words whispered not too long ago the last thing on her mind.

Neither of them let go of the other that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of this big-ass chapter! :)


	12. it's our time now if you want it to be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~much~ more progress between these two
> 
> or
> 
> finally a fluff & humor chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few hours past my usual posting time but hey I made it!
> 
> significantly shorter than the last chapter but it got so long that I had to cut the rough draft into two! Also yeah this is the first cut :)
> 
> this is probably the only chapter when there isn't a single sad/angsty moment and I have to say I like this change! but it's probably not gonna last long (sorry hahaa)
> 
> don't have much to say so might as well just get on with it!
> 
> Hope you like this one! :)

_Korra hated a lot of things at that moment._

_Korra hated the sun._

_Korra hated the sand that managed to sneak into her sneakers._

_Korra hated that kid who she swore deliberately threw sand at her._

_Korra hated that kid's mom who gave her the stink eye as if she were the one who threw fucking sand into the kid's mouth._

_But most of all, Korra hated Twinkies._

_"Why do you love these things so much?" she asked with a scrunch of her nose, eyeing the artificial delicacy in her hand with contempt._

_The raven-haired girl beside her just shrugged in response, choosing to stay silent as she swallowed before eagerly taking another bite from her own Twinkie, which was disappearing faster than the kid who ran to his mother sobbing—and considering the deadly glare Korra sent him, it was pretty damn fast._

_Okay, so maybe the stink eye she received wasn't so unfounded._

_But really, can you blame her for flipping out a little? The sun was scorching and the umbrella they brought did nothing to help with the heat that seemed to emanate from the ground itself. The raven decided it was a good idea to stay in the park despite the heat, going as far as taking up permanent residence in the sandbox they found—despite the fact that they were freaking adults—saying that they could pretend they were in a beach. Korra eventually agreed—after an hour of begging on her companion's part—but goddamn, if this was a beach, where_ the fuck _was the water?_

_"Why must you question something so amazing? It tastes like people scooped up clouds blessed by the angels themselves," the girl said so reverently that Korra couldn't help but snort._

_"Yeah, blessed by angel shit—nothing tastes better than heavenly feces!" Korra said with mock enthusiasm._

_The girl beside her made a face, "You're disgusting," she said but popping the last of the Twinkie in her mouth nonetheless._

_Korra raised her index finger, "No," she said before pointing said finger at the untouched delicacy in her other hand, "_ Twinkies _are disgusting,"_

_"Oh yeah?" the raven-haired girl questioned, leaning over to bite off a piece of Korra's Twinkie._

_"How about now?" she said through a mouthful of the chewed up stuff, opening her mouth wide enough for Korra to see the inside._

_Pure terror pushed Korra to recoil a good few feet away from the girl, who was currently laughing her ass off—after swallowing, thank god._

_A frown carved itself into her face as she eyed the girl cautiously from the corner of her eye, "I stand corrected," Korra said as the girl recovered from her laughter, "_ You _disgust me more than Twinkies ever could,"_

_The girl made a show of pouting dramatically but Korra could see her eyes twinkle mischievously. She rolled her blue eyes at the girl's attempt at making her give in, arms crossing defiantly but Korra already felt her act slipping—this girl was her soft spot dammit._

_Korra felt a finger poke her side, "Come on, we both know you can only stay mad at me for so long," the girl said teasingly and Korra could practically feel the smirk being sent her way._

_And she fucking knows it, Korra thought to herself before giving in completely, letting her arms drop to her sides as she finally looked at the other girl._

_The smile that met her was too wide for her liking but Korra could feel a smile tugging at the corners of her lips anyways._

_"I never said I was mad at you," she deadpanned when the girl's lips turned up in a smirk upon seeing Korra smile, "I merely expressed my disgust for you," she reasoned with her chin raised._

_The girl snorted before moving to poke Korra's side once again, pulling away when the tan girl tried swat the intruding finger away. She held her finger close to her chest and stuck her tongue out at Korra._

_"Real mature," the blue-eyed girl muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes when the raven smirked._

_"You love me anyways," she teased. Korra rolled her eyes once more for good measure._

_"Unfortunately, that's true," she said with a sigh, but a small smile found its way to her lips at the familiar exchange._

_The returning smile the girl gave her made her heart flutter in her chest, sending warmth all the way down to her toes and Korra suddenly couldn't bring herself to care about the things she hated anymore—not the heat from the sun, not the sand, not even that obnoxious kid she could still see from the corner of her eye._

_She even ate one of those disgusting Twinkies._

\-----------------------

Korra slowly cracked open her eyes and found herself staring up at her ceiling as she lay on her back, the plain surface splashed in brilliant orange as sunlight filtered in from the window.

Blue eyes followed the trail of orange until they settled on the sunrise halfway past the horizon. Korra released a quiet sigh.

As much as the sight was beautiful, the girl couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia as she remembered the streaks of light she saw everyday, dancing across the sky before the sun even rose, decorating the night with various colors and endless patterns. No, this sunrise could never compare to the lights she grew up seeing everyday.

 _Home_ , she mused bitterly, the thought bringing a familiar sting to her eyes.

When she was nine, Korra had been adamant in convincing her family that it was a good idea to have a skylight built into her room, saying that it was completely inefficient to have to go all the way outside just to see the lights. At first her parents refused, so Korra decided it was time to bring out the big guns—which mostly composed of pouting, whining, arguing and did she mention pouting?

Eventually her parents gave in and proposed a compromise, saying that if Korra wanted a skylight so badly then she should build one herself. Considering how Korra wasn't even in her preteen years, it was logical for her parents to assume that it would end at that, but Korra was nothing if not determined—or stubborn, same difference.

So just imagine their surprise when Korra pulled them into her room, presenting the skylight she made herself, just as they said. Once they got over their initial shock, her mother went into a fit, saying it wasn't safe and she could've gotten hurt but Korra wasn't paying attention to her. She was too busy beaming up at the look her father gave her, one of unbridled pride in his daughter.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory, a hot tear leaving a burning track on her face as it slipped from the corner of her eye.

With a loud sigh, she ripped her gaze from the window and it just so happened to land on the human-shaped lump beside her, the only evidence of her raven-haired friend being a jungle of wild black hair peeking out from the top of the blanket.

A smile blossomed on Korra's lips despite the tears in her eyes, the heavy feeling in her chest lifting a little at the sight. Apparently _Ms. Star-Student-With-Gorgeous-Hair-And-Eyes-That-Fucking-Sparkle_ wasn't so impossibly perfect after all. Somehow, it only made the girl more likable.

Images of the night before were brought to the front of her mind and instead of feeling worse than she was earlier, the fact that Asami has been with her the whole time—it made Korra feel like she wasn't alone for once.

Korra rolled onto her side until she was facing the girl beside her, her eyes watching the steady rise and fall of where her companion's chest should be. She released another sigh, but this time it was a contented one.

Her eyes slowly fell shut and just as she felt the sleepy haze slowly grow, she thought she felt the bed shift slightly underneath her.

But when she heard a quiet voice break the peaceful silence—well, let's just say it was enough to make sleep jump out the window without a second thought.

_"Now I want a freaking Twinkie,"_

\-------------------------------

 _"Now I want a freaking Twinkie,"_ Asami grumbled her breath, her voice echoing slightly against the confines of the blanket she found herself trapped in. She moved a lot in her sleep, okay—it was perfectly normal.

She reached up and untangled herself from the fabric, exposing herself to the sunlight peeking in from the window. She squinted her eyes as they adjusted slowly to the brightness.

She's been trying to go back to sleep for the past 5 minutes—her body clock told her it was too early for her to fully wake up—but to no avail. Despite willing her mind to return to its earlier state of rest, her body decided it was a good idea to react to the dream she just had.

Considering how she barely ate anything the night before, she assumed it was logical for her body to remind her of her abuse—thus the Twinkie dream. Asami felt her stomach grumble.

"Yeah yeah, I hear you loud and clear," she couldn't help but tell her stomach. She swore it had a mind of its own because it held a stubbornness that knew no boundaries.

Speaking of stubborn, she tried to peek over her shoulder to check on the girl beside her but seeing how she had a serious case of bed hair at the moment, she couldn't see a thing past her giant messy mane.

Asami flicked some locks off of her face before moving to prop herself up on her forearms as gently as possible to avoid disturbing the other girl, her pale green eyes being the only source of movement once she did.

Korra's breathing was steady as she lay on her side, an arm tucked beneath her head while the other lay limp in the space between them. The image of them holding hands before she drifted off to sleep flashed before her eyes and a small smile graced her lips.

Something was nagging at her though.

Obviously, Korra was asleep—but Asami couldn't help but notice the wrinkle between the girl's slightly furrowed eyebrows.

Her own eyebrows coming together in confusion, she wondered why she even considered the possibility that Korra was just pretending to be asleep. She shook her head to clear the thought as she gingerly peeled the blanket off of her and rose to place her feet flat on the ground.

Asami felt her joints crack under the pressure as stood and she let out a small groan. She yawned and raised her arms above her head as she stretched to loosen the kinks in her body. Oddly enough, the raven-haired girl  
felt eyes on her.

She let her arms fall at her sides before looking over her shoulder only to rest her eyes on a still sleeping girl. She paused and took a moment to study the girl quietly. No unusual movement so Asami shrugged away the thought, deciding her mind was playing tricks on her as her bare feet padded over to the door.

Seeing how she was busy hauling Korra through her apartment without anyone breaking anything the night before, Asami never got the chance to properly take in the other girl's apartment and well, let's just say she didn't miss much.

The sun was well above the horizon by now, shining through the various windows, casting long shadows on the things that made this Korra's home—or lack thereof.

The urban flat was simple to the point of having almost nothing in it. While Asami understood that Korra never wanted to be in Zaofu in the first place, she thought this was a little too much.

As she stood in the middle of the space, she found that the necessities were there—Korra was taking care of herself at least—and it actually was quite messy, showing that the space was lived in—she deliberately skipped over the areas of the house that contained objects like empty liquor bottles and crushed cigarette packs—but Asami spotted nothing that made the place _home_.

A quick glance around the space confirmed her thoughts—not a single personal memento in sight. She couldn't help but feel lonely herself at the sight, like she were the one who lived in a place that felt like a tomb.

"Hey," she heard from behind her along with the sound of feet shuffling across the floor.

Without moving from her spot, Asami felt Korra settle into the space beside her, "Good morning," the raven-haired girl said with her typical warmth, albeit a little distractedly. She was studying a particular spot above the fireplace, a typical location to place pictures of family and loved ones. Like the rest of the desolate apartment, it was completely empty. Asami felt that same loneliness grow stronger.

She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she heard an awkward cough and the raven-haired girl resisted the urge to smack herself. She hadn't meant to come off as rude and her upbringing told her she should apologize for not being able to keep up with conversation but she found that her silence was wrongly interpreted.

Korra was currently scratching the back of her neck with her head ducked rather sheepishly, her eyes seemingly taking in their surroundings just as green eyes were. Asami found the sight endearing.

"Uh, sorry about the mess," Korra apologized, looking up at the other girl through her messy bangs, "I guess I just wasn't expecting visitors any time soon," she joked awkwardly.

The girl's discomfort was enough to pull Asami from her earlier funk, the worrying thoughts being pushed to the back of her mind for the moment.

Asami laughed, "Don't worry about it, Korra," she said before giving the blue-eyed girl a reassuring smile, "I'd be a hypocrite if I really was bothered by it,"

That seemed to put the other girl at ease, "Thank god—I thought I'd have to clean up to make way for the princess," she said with mock-relief, making Asami laugh even more as she hit the tan girl's shoulder lightly.

Korra groaned as her hand immediately flew up to clutch the arm that had been hit and Asami's eyes went wide in panic having seeing the action too many times and thus knew what it meant.

An apology was already slipping from her lips when Korra released her arm and dropped her hand back to her side, her lips curling into a smirk, "Gotcha," she teased.

Asami merely stared at the other girl in disbelief, "You—oh my god—I am going to _kill_  you,"

The laugh that escaped Korra rang clear across the apartment and suddenly the empty space didn't feel so lifeless. Asami felt her lips lift into a grin at the sight, Korra's laughter only to be interrupted by Asami's grumbling stomach.

"Woah—you keep a tiger in there?" Korra teased with a chuckle and Asami felt her cheeks take on a pinkish tint.

"Shut up," she grumbled, but smiled nonetheless.

If she were being completely honest, Asami was grateful for the interruption. If her hunger hadn't made it's presence known, then that would mean they would eventually talk about Korra's arm condition. As much as Asami cared for the girl, the serious—probably sensitive—topic would only serve to dampen the happy atmosphere they got going at the moment and Asami didn't want that.

"Come on, let's go make you and your stomach some breakfast," Korra said as she started to head towards the kitchen area, looking over her shoulder to smile at the raven-haired girl. Yup, Asami definitely wanted this moment to last.

Korra had made her sit down on a stool by the counter to wait while she busied herself. Asami had been insistent upon making herself useful but Korra stubbornly refused, saying that she was the guest and guests weren't allowed to work. Asami had rolled her eyes at that but obeyed nonetheless.

After a few minutes, however, Asami was tired of feeling useless.

"Fine," Korra groaned before going back to her task. Asami gave herself a mental pat on the back. She liked to believe she had presented a reasonable argument, but really, all she did was complain until the other girl gave in.

"Do you wanna man the stove?" Korra asked her without looking up from making the batter.

"Oh, I don't cook." Asami said casually as she settled beside the blue-eyed girl.

That made Korra look up and stare at the other girl.

"Are you fucking with me right now," Korra deadpanned after a while.

The raven-haired girl raised an eyebrow in response, crossing her arms defensively, "I said I wanted to _help_ , not _cook_ ," she argued.

Blue eyes simply stared at her and green eyes met them evenly.

Korra threw her hands up in defeat, _"Fine,"_ she said before handing the brush for the green-eyed girl to butter the bacon.

Asami thought they were actually doing pretty good for a while, working in their own corners and only speaking when the other needed something. It was silent, but she was surprised to find it was a comfortable one.

She was currently mixing the batter Korra had handed to her, eyes cast downwards as they were completely focused on her task. Asami couldn't cook but she liked to think she knew how to do the easy stuff. She internally cringed at the memory of her last attempt at cooking. Let's just say that the kitchen wasn't quite the same after tha—

Asami was immediately pulled from her trip down memory lane when she felt a shiver run down her spine. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion—that was weird, she knew for a fact that Korra was just three feet away...but then what if someone came into her apartment just now and we didn't hear them break in and they were currently standing behind me and—

"How's the batter goi— _what the fuck Asami,"_ Korra cursed after she cut herself off, her index finger coming up to swipe away the glob of batter on her forehead.

How'd the batter get ther— _Oh._ Asami realized what she had just done and started to back away very slowly.

"Did you just—" Korra started, her teeth visibly grinding and _oh Jesus is she coming closer—_

"—hit me in the forehead—" her eyes were blue flames now _oh god she is coming closer—_

"—with a _spatula?"_ Korra finally said through her teeth.

By now Asami was stuck, caught between the furious girl and the counter she felt digging into her back. She gulped, _I'm a dead woman._

"At least it wasn't a knife right?" she said desperately, looking up into blues that burned holes into her and managing a smile despite her possible death being right at the corner but Korra only continued to stare at her menacingly.

_Okay, Asami, if you wanna live you gotta do what you gotta do, think smart, you got only got one shot at this—_

"Oh my god is that a corgi?!" Asami exclaimed as she pointed at something over Korra's shoulder.

Much to her surprise, the other girl did turn around to look. Asami didn't waste any time.

"Please don't hurt me!" She couldn't help but beg as she slipped out from between Korra and the counter, running towards the living room like her life depended on it—on second thought, maybe it did.

However, just as she managed to get behind the couch to create any barrier between them, Asami heard loud laughter erupt from where she came from.

She whipped around and stared incredulously at the guffawing girl leaning on the counter for support like she would fall if she didn't. Korra looked up from where she was clutching her stomach only to double over once again when she saw Asami's reaction.

"Did you actually think I would hurt you?" Korra managed to say in between breaths after having finally contained her laughter. Asami couldn't even bring herself to be mad at Korra for putting her through something heart-stoppingly stressful, seeing how her mind was still convinced it just escaped a certain death.

Asami breathed out a quiet sigh of relief but she could feel a blush reach her cheeks. She crossed her arms defensively, "Well you were doing a very good job at making it seem like you were going to," she argued.

This only seemed to make the girl laugh even harder and the blush on the raven-haired girl's cheeks grow deeper.

"If you're just gonna laugh at me, I think it's better if I just go," Asami huffed when it seemed the other girl would never drop it.

But Korra stopped laughing immediately, "Aw come on—don't be like that," she said as she started to walk towards the raven-haired girl.

Asami stood in her spot, arms still crossed as she deliberately avoided Korra's gaze when she tried to meet them. She saw Korra visibly slump from the corner of her eye.

She heard the blue-eyed girl say something and she thought she heard it right but what entered her ears was so unusual for Korra that Asami had to make the girl repeat herself.

"I said I was sorry," Korra clarified quietly with an apologetic smile.

Asami's eyebrows flew up in surprise. So she _had_  heard it right. Huh. A sincere apology was something she never thought she'd hear from the temperamental girl and yet here she was, apologizing to her like she really meant it.

Her pale green eyes softened. She sighed, "It's fine," she relented, "I just wanted to avoid going to class today with my face looking like the batter over there," she teased.

Asami could see thoughts running rampant behind Korra's eyes before the tan girl stepped in closer. Asami held her breath when the other girl slowly—tentatively—lifted a hand to rest it on a pale cheek.

Korra smiled hesitantly, yet somehow sincerely, "Don't worry," she said quietly, "I'll never do that to you,"

Asami felt her cheeks warm slightly with a blush at the girl's words. From the corner of her eye, she saw Korra lift her other hand but Asami paid it no mind, too caught in the blue eyes swimming before her own— _god_ , this girl will be the death of her—

Then all of a sudden, she couldn't see a thing, her vision of blue eyes suddenly replaced by darkness as she squeezed her eyes shut to keep the gooey substance from entering.

Asami lifted her hands to wipe some of the stuff away so she could see and found herself staring back at a shit-eating grin on Korra's face. Asami started to mentally count down to calm herself.

_Ten, nine—_

The girl lifted a tan hand, licking off the remnants of batter on her fingers, showing Asami how exactly she was blinded.

_Eight, seven—_

Korra made a humming sound in her throat, "Revenge is sweet," she said, smugness practically radiating off of her. Asami shut her eyes.

_Six—_

"Oh no," Korra feigned surprise, "I think—oh no,"

_Five—deep breaths Asami—_

"I think—"

_Four—_

"—I got some—"

_Three—inhale, exhale, inhale—_

"—in your hair—"

 _Two—wait what—_ her eyes flew open, green eyes staring at nothing in particular.

"Asami? You okay? You kinda stopped breathing there for a moment," she heard Korra say, her tone more than a little worried. She should be.

Asami inhaled through her nose before settling her eyes on Korra, who took an involuntary step back. She roughly ground her teeth—she could _feel_  a particularly large clump of batter in her hair.

_Okay, Asami, deep breaths and start again,_

"Asami?"

"I'm fine," was all Asami said, directing her eyes—which she was sure was enough to kill Korra if she so much as looked at her—at the ceiling.

"We're good right?" she heard Korra ask, her voice hesitant, "I'm pretty sure it would come off easily but hey if it doesn't, I mean it's not that bad of a look on you—" _Oh fuck it—_

 _"Korra!"_ Asami all but but bellowed, sending the girl running across the apartment, all the while laughing maniacally.

Around an hour later, despite the fact that the raven-haired girl nearly ripped Korra's head off, Asami was immediately met by guffaws the moment she came out of the shower with her hair sticking out in random directions.

"I'm never letting you drink again if hangovers make you act like a jerk," Asami mumbled, her arms crossing and her lower lip jutting out in a pout involuntarily.

Korra smirked, "I don't get hangovers,"

Asami raised an eyebrow, "Oh so you being a jerk is normal behavior," she deadpanned.

She shrugged, "Maybe," she said simply before laughing at the incredulous look the raven-haired girl gave her, "I honestly don't get why you're so mad,"

"There's still pieces of batter in my hair!" Asami exclaimed, her hand flying up to point at a particularly noticeable clump of batter. Korra stopped laughing but somehow her amusement only seemed to grow.

Korra reached over to pat the girl's head lightly, "I told you it's a good look on you," she pulled her hand away to gesture at the monstrosity that is her hair.

"And despite this unfortunate turn of events," Asami sneered at her and opened her mouth to protest—but Korra only smirked as she held a hand up before continuing.

"You still manage to look fucking gorgeous,"

Asami stopped complaining after that.

\---------------------------

"Since when did you start dressing like Korra?"

The girl looked up from her burger at the mention of her name, not really paying attention to the conversation as the friends—Kuvira had to go do a project so only five of them remained—spent their lunch break under the sun outside the cafe.

She realized a second later that she was not the one being addressed, rather at the girl beside her. Opal had directed her question at Asami—that much was clear to the whole group—and yet the raven-haired girl seemed especially focused on the taco in her hands. Korra twisted in her seat on the grass to pay special attention to the girl beside her—this lunch just got a _hella_ lot more interesting.

"Oh, you know—" Asami shrugged nonchalantly, still not looking up from her food as she unnecessarily picked at it, "Ever since she lent me her clothes this morning," she said quietly.

The whole group seemed to pause and Korra couldn't stop the smirk fighting its way to her face. Moments passed before anyone said anything, apparently too shocked for words.

But Korra should've known that Opal, on the other hand, never ran out of words to say, "Well, instead of making me worry last night, the least you could've done was tell me you were spending the night at her place."

Their reactions were so varied—mostly silence and choking on food—that Korra had to stuff her mouth with her burger just to contain the loud laughter threatening to escape her lips—but what pushed her over the edge was Bolin spitting out his drink at Mako.

Korra rolled onto her back as her contained laughter ripped through her harshly, overpowering the sounds of Mako groaning in disgust and Bolin paying him no mind as he pried for more information. Asami made no move to help her up as she glared at her over her shoulder.

"Alright, I'll shut up now," Korra conceded, holding her hands up in surrender as she sat up and releasing a satisfied hum—which was quickly rewarded by another glare.

"We can _both—"_ Asami sent Korra a pointed look, "—assure you all that _absolutely_ _nothing_ happened between us yesterday," she eyes every single member of the group as she said the last word.

Korra rolled her eyes. Why everyone was making a big deal out of this was beyond her capacity to understand. Like, so what if she and Asami hooked up? She slowly raked her eyes over the raven-haired girl clad in the clothes Korra had picked out of her own closet—her denim cutoffs almost disappearing under a loose plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up her forearms, Korra's black Doc Martens fitting the other snugly. She even gave Asami a beanie to complete the look. While it wasn't the other girl's usual style, Korra had to admit—Asami looked good in her clothes.

Now that statement brought a whole different idea in Korra's head and fuck, she could easily imagine Asami in her apartment in the morning, wearing Korra's clothes and nothing underneath—woah, not going there.

She ripped her eyes off of the raven-haired girl,  _She's a friend, Korra._

Thankfully, Mako interrupted her suddenly rampant thoughts. "I don't know why you're being so defensive about it," he said matter-of-factly. He sent Asami a look from the corner of his eye and Korra wondered what that was about.

Bolin nodded his head eagerly, "I know I wouldn't complain if it were me in your shoes," he said honestly before Korra heard a gasp from Opal.

"I mean, let's face it," he continued, seemingly oblivious to the glare being sent his way, "Korra's hot," he winked.

"Why thank you Bo," she said in an appreciative tone, doing her best to hide a smirk. She wasn't exactly in the mood to get killed by Opal.

Asami scoffed, drawing attention to herself once again, "If you like her so much, why don't you hook up with her?" she said pointedly.

The blue-eyed girl turned in her seat in surprise and found the girl unnecessarily picking at her food again, her eyes focused on it as if the taco was suddenly extremely interesting.

Korra found herself fighting a smirk for the second time. Was Asami jealous? While the assumption was a little far fetched and seemingly unfounded, it certainly looked like it and she'll be damned if Korra said she didn't find the thought a little flattering. Besides, she was feeling a little mischievous after their morning together.

She threw a fry at Bolin once the boy opened his mouth to reply—probably to agree with Asami, Korra thought with a roll of her eyes—and raised a finger when he wanted to protest.

"While the concept is very tempting," she heard Opal gasp and saw Bolin discreetly slick his hair back but Korra was focused on the way Asami snorted quietly.

"I think I'll pass—I'm still quite exhausted from last night," Korra said as she made a show of stretching her 'tired' body.

She thought of how little sleep she got last night and all the running around they did that morning—a smirk found Korra's lips.

"Besides, I'm still a little sore after this morning because damn—" she leaned in closer and whispered to the group, "Asami has _a lot_  of stamina and she did not just want to stop,"

Korra leaned back, satisfied as she took in the gaping mouths of her friends. She turned and noticed Asami's similar state and Korra couldn't resist.

She placed a finger under Asami's chin and lifted her jaw off the ground before leaning closer until her lips were almost brushing the shell of Asami's ear.

"Close your mouth or you'll catch flies," Korra whispered into her ear, her breath sending visible shivers down Asami's spine—exactly what Korra wanted to happen.

She sat back into her seat and put her attention back on her friends, enjoying the way they looked even more in shock before abruptly rising from her seat a few seconds before the bell went off.

She started to walk away when she heard a slightly breathless, "I swear it's not what it looks like,"

Without looking over her shoulder, Korra called out, "It's exactly what it looks like!"

"Shut up, Korra!" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUUUUUUUFFFFFFF
> 
> *throws confetti at your face*
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!


	13. your eyes won't let me go // I can't help it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so much happening here wtf
> 
> not as cheesy as the last chapter but more fluffffff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone needs to seriously stop me from getting carried away
> 
> seriously like this one has around 9k words and goddamn I'm on a streak with writing long chapters
> 
> and the thing is I barely have enough time to write with college going on BUT HERE I AM WRITING LONG ASS CHAPTERS
> 
> but I think I you guys like long chapters so here you go :)
> 
> sorry for the mini-rant and this wasn't read through by my beta so all mistakes are mine!
> 
> also sorry this came out a little later than usual but hey it's here now right?
> 
> hope you like this one! :)

A few months ago, Asami attended a Psychology class.

She couldn't see how understanding the brain and its effect on the human body related to her major in engineering but nonetheless, she found the subject interesting.

And if she were being completely honest, she found some of the theories a little unbelievable. Like say, the ‘broken heart syndrome’.

She was convinced that despite the research that suggests otherwise, it was highly unlikely that a person could die from suffering heartbreak.

And yet at that moment, she was certain she was dying for exactly that reason.

She could practically feel her bed calling for her just a few feet away and she stared it longingly. Saying she was exhausted was an understatement and the fact that her bed was _right there_ and yet so out of reach made her wonder if this was what those researchers meant.

The fact that she was stuck doing technical work didn't help at all. She would've been fine if was just making a proposal—because all she needed was her brain—but _no_ , this particular job required _social skills_ and while Asami prided herself in knowing how to talk to people, she wasn't exactly in the mood for talking to event organizers who didn't understand her as of the moment.

 _Why do I always end up doing the extra work?_ Asami thought to herself in actual wonder and frustration, pushing her glasses back to the top of her head and hid her face in her hands.

 _Why are you even wondering how you got stuck in this situation? You're a pushover,_ her brain replied without missing a beat.

 _I'm not a pushover,_ Asami pouted.

_Oh yeah? When was the last time you rejected someone asking for a favor?_

_That’s besides the point! I'm just being nice..._

_I think pushover is a more accurate description for you._

_Why must you go against me now when I need you the most?_

_Because I didn't sign up for this, you did._

_We're the same person!_

Her completely psycho argument with herself was interrupted by a faint beeping. She extracted her face from her hands and looked at her phone on her desk questioningly. She twisted in her chair and glanced at the wall clock behind her—2 am.

 _Who the heck could be texting me this late?_ She twisted back to face her desk and picked up her phone, swiping the screen to unlock it and see who could possibly be awake at that time.

 

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_did you know that slugs have four noses_

 

A smile crept its way to Asami's lips. Somehow, she wasn't surprised—not about the slug thing because she's never heard of that before and it was lowkey disturbing—but the fact that it was Korra's name that popped up.

 

 **Mufasa**  
_No and don't you dare elaborate_

 **Mufasa**  
_How did you even know I was awake anyways?_

 **Mufasa**  
_Why are YOU awake??_

 

Asami rolled her eyes at the nickname on top of the messages she sent. As some sort of friend ritual, Korra had quickly taken it as her responsibility to give her a nickname that she saw fit and decided that _Mufasa_ was the best decision after the little hair incident. Asami tried to get the girl to take it back but Korra was persistent. So the raven-haired girl had made an attempt to get back at Korra by calling her the bane of her existence but unsurprisingly, the blue-eyed girl had taken a liking for the nickname, saying that it was very flattering.

 _Only you would think that, Korra,_ she thought with a goodnatured roll of her eyes as she placed her phone back on her desk and turned to her laptop to start working again. Just a few seconds later, she heard a familiar beep go off once again.

 

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_just a guess_

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_and the brain is more active at night...like slugs_

  
Asami snorted and decided to hold her response. Maybe if she focused hard enough, she could finally get something done—

_Beepbeep._

_Yeah that's not happening Sams,_ she thought as she wondered why she bothered in the first place and picked up her phone just as new messages came in.

  
**Bane of my Existence**  
_but seriously_

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_slugs have FOUR noses_

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_like_

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_what the heck do they need four fucking noses for_

 **Mufasa**  
_Alright Bill Nye don't get your panties in a bunch_

  
She plugged in her phone to charge for the night before turning back to her laptop, deciding she should continue tomorrow instead now that she was distracted. She shut off her laptop and trudged back to her bed before crashing down on it with a relieved sigh. She snuggled into her favorite pillow in an attempt to fall asleep but gave up after a while when sleep wouldn't come. Asami frowned at her mind's indecision before she heard her ringtone.

She rolled onto her side with a slight groan, reaching over the bedside table and picking up her phone.

 

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_whatcha doin_

  
Asami sighed before proceeding to type out a response—she figured she might as well kill some time if she couldn't sleep.

  
**Mufasa**  
_Just finished working actually._

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_I'm not bothering you?_

  
That made Asami's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Korra never apologized for texting her at any time and Asami never felt bothered in any case.

  
**Mufasa**  
_Not at all._

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_good_

 **Mufasa**  
_Okay…?_

  
Asami didn't get a reply for the next five minutes so she assumed Korra had finally fallen asleep or something. Pushing the odd conversation from her mind, she settled deeper into her bed in an attempt to convince her mind that it wanted to sleep but gave up once again after a few minutes of trying. With a groan, she picked up her phone and played a game to help time pass.

Suddenly Asami heard a loud knock and she almost dropped her phone. Cursing quietly about people and their lack of consideration that she could possibly be asleep, she exited her bedroom and stomped past her living room over to the door. She threw it open—ready to give the person on the other side a piece of her mind—and was met by an empty hallway. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down the hallway on both sides. No one.

Asami shut the door behind her and she couldn't help but feel a little freaked out. She was so sure she heard knocking and yet, there was no one there to do it. She felt her phone buzz in her hand and she lifted it up, the light illuminating her face in the dark.

 

 **Bane of my Existence**  
_I almost feel bad for your neighbors with all your stomping_

 

"What the fudge..." Asami said quietly before dialing Korra and pressing her phone to her ear.

" _You're lucky the person living under you's a heavy sleeper,"_ was the first thing she heard from the other side of the line.

"Where the heck are you?" Asami whispered harshly as she walked back into her bedroom.

" _Why are we whispering?"_ she heard Korra say in a hushed tone but Asami ignored her. She got down on all fours and peeked under the bed.

“ _Really, Sami? Under the bed?"_

Asami shot back up to her feet and glanced around her room nervously, as if she'd spot Korra suddenly, “How the heck are you doing that?”

" _Stop looking around like that—I'm not a ghost so that means I can't just pop up beside you and scare you shitless,"_ Korra said in her usual sarcastic tone, " _Though I have to admit—that would be pretty cool,"_

"Can you just answer my question please?" Asami said exasperatedly.

" _Have you considered the window?"_

Asami spun on her heel to face a window—which she realized had a perfect view of her room—and walked toward it. She turned on the lamp before opening the curtains, and _lo and behold_ —the bane of her existence.

She placed her hands under the frame and opened the window before speaking, "Do you make a habit of standing outside people's windows at 2 in the morning?”

Korra snorted and feigned offense, "I didn't know you thought so lowly of me, Princess," she said with a smirk.

Asami wanted to say something clever in reply but what left her mouth was complete honesty, "I don't think I'll ever think of anything but good things of you Korra," she said before she could stop herself. Damn her blabber mouth.

She immediately met the other girl's eyes to see her reaction and was met by Korra giving her a fond look.

Asami ducked her head to hide the blush caused by the look Korra gave her and her lack of verbal filter so late at night, stepping back to let the other girl in. She let out a cough when Korra still wouldn't stop looking at her even after she stepped inside.

"So," Asami started, her eyes landing on the lamp on her desk just to avoid meeting Korra's own, "Why are you really here?"

Korra plopped down on the edge of Asami's bed before shrugging, seemingly unaware of the other girl’s discomfort, "I can't sleep," she said casually, like it happened all the time, "I decided to walk around for a bit and before I knew it, I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I could drop by,"

Asami raised an eyebrow, finally meeting the other girl's eyes, "And you just assumed I would be awake?"

Korra raised an eyebrow of her own, "I told you—I had a feeling," she reminded with a pointed look, "It beat being alone and I like your company," she said with a shrug, but her eyes showed she meant every word.

Asami looked away with yet another blush—why hasn't her face taken up a permanent appearance of a tomato yet?—before settling down on the bed beside the girl, "Well, what do you wanna do?"

Korra shrugged nonchalantly again and Asami had a feeling the girl was a little more nervous than she let on. Somehow, she found the thought was comforting.

"I was thinking about you a while ago—" the thought of Korra thinking of her sent a thrill through Asami, "—and I realized we don't know much about each other, you know, aside from what we talked about during the party," Korra said the last part quietly and Asami could see the girl fiddling with the string around her wrist absently.

Asami nodded, "So how do you suggest we get to know each other?" she said quickly, choosing to skip over what Korra said about the night of the party. She figured the girl didn't want to talk about that just yet.

Korra seemed grateful. She straightened a little in her seat and turned to properly face the raven-haired girl, "I don't know—maybe we could ask each other questions?" she said hesitantly.

Korra bit her lip discreetly and that was when Asami realized that the girl was nervous. She wasn't used to close friendships and opening up to people and yet here she was, making the first move at knowing the raven-haired girl better. Asami never felt a stronger urge to hug someone in her life.

Asami tried to reassure the girl with a soft smile and oddly enough, it worked—a stiffness Asami hadn't noticed before seemed to melt off Korra's shoulders and her smile seemed more like her own.

"Okay, I'll start," she said.

\----------

"How could I not notice a _150-pound_ dog in your apartment?!" Asami exclaimed incredulously from her spot on the bed.

Korra waved it off as she lay on her back, "She's a Great Pyrenees—she's big, she's white, she's fluffy and she lazes around the whole day—she could easily pass as a carpet," she said with a chuckle.

"I know but—" Asami protested, "I wanted to have seen her because she sounds so damn huggable," she said with a pout.

"Oh trust me, she puts all things huggable to shame," Korra said proudly and the groan Asami released into the bed as she planted herself facedown on it seemed to amuse the tan girl, "Don't worry—you can always visit her," she said.

Asami looked up and the pout on her face quickly transformed into a happy grin at the thought of visiting Naga, making the other girl laugh some more. Then it dawned on Asami that Korra had practically granted her permission to come to her apartment soon and _wow_ , she pushed the thought to the back of her mind before she could start freaking out.

She rolled off of her stomach and turned until she lay on her side instead, her head propped up on one arm while the other reached out to lightly poke a finger at Korra's arm, "Your turn,"

Korra continued to stare at the ceiling, her fingers tapping her abdomen as she contemplated on her next question, "Hobbies?" she decided.

Asami didn't even hesitate, "I'm a part-time mechanic,"

Korra turned her head until she was facing the other girl, raising an eyebrow questioningly, but Asami waved off the implied question, "Later," she promised.

Korra seemed unsatisfied but respected it as she proceeded to give her own answer, "Does watching tv and eating pizza count?" she asked, smiling when Asami laughed, "Your turn,"

The raven-haired girl scrunched up her eyebrows in thought, "What do you spend most of your time doing?"

Korra made a show of thinking really hard, "Does watching tv and eating pizza count?

Asami rolled onto her back as she laughed, even harder than before and Korra laughed along with her. When they settled down, Korra poked her arm like she did earlier, "How about you?"

Asami shrugged, not really concerned with her answer, "I guess I spend the most of my time with the committee,"

Korra snorted, "Boring,"

Asami scoffed and placed a hand on her chest, "I'm boring? Have you heard your answer?"

Korra rolled her eyes but relented, "Fine," she said, sticking her tongue out at Asami when the raven-haired girl smiled triumphantly.

There was a pause in the flow of their question-and-answer game when Korra couldn't think of a question. She asked Asami to go ask one instead and so she did.

Asami ended up asking one of the most stereotypical questions ever, eyes flicking across the plain ceiling like a canvas waiting to be painted, "Where do you see yourself in the future?"

Asami waited so the girl could process her answer but didn't hear a reply for a full minute so she started to worry. She turned her head and found Korra staring at the ceiling with a frown. The reaction caused Asami to frown as well, wondering what could've happened to make Korra react that way when asked that particular question. She waited until the girl stopped looking at the ceiling and met her eyes.

Korra bit her lip nervously, her eyes flicking between Asami's as she thought of what to say, before letting go of her lip with a breath, "If you asked me that a few years ago, then I'd say doing what I love the most, but now—" she said quietly, studying Asami's eyes before looking away, "I don't know what the answer is,"

Asami stared at the other girl for a moment and Korra must've felt it because she turned to look at her, shaking her head at the question in Asami's eyes before looking away again.

Admittedly, Asami was caught off guard with the sudden change of atmosphere and both of them stayed quiet for a while, both unsure of what to say next. So Asami decided to honor Korra's wishes and pretend like her answer didn't bother her.

She breathed out a heavy exhale, choosing her words carefully as to get rid of the uncomfortable atmosphere that suddenly settle between them, "I suppose I've seen myself in the same place my whole life—taking my father's spot in Future Industries when the time comes," she said almost automatically.

She turned and was almost surprised to find Korra staring at her in shock, her earlier sadness seemingly forgotten, "What?" Asami asked.

"You're Hiroshi Sato's daughter," Korra said as if in awe before she shook her head, "I mean I guess I should've figured that out since you're Asami _Sato_ —but I guess I always assumed you weren't related which I realize is a little inconsiderate of me and _wow_ I feel like an idiot—"

Asami laughed quietly, effectively interrupting the girl's rambling, "Don't worry, Korra. I don't blame you for anything—I avoid talking about it as much as possible anyways," she said, the smile she gave ending up a little strained.

She was a little uncomfortable now because there was a possibility Korra would view her differently after the revelation, thus treat her differently—but mostly she was glad the sad atmosphere was mostly behind them.

But Korra seemed to catch on to her discomfort. Her head cocked slightly to the side as she studied the other girl, "What's wrong?"

Asami sighed. She wasn't sure if she was just that easy to read or if Korra understood her that well—she hoped it was the latter.

She quietly studied the other girl’s blue eyes and wasn't all that surprised to find curiosity and actual concern dancing in them. Somehow she found it reassuring—she knew she could trust Korra.

"There's a reason I don't talk about it," she said quietly, releasing Korra's eyes to look up at the ceiling, her own eyes unseeing as she memories flashed in her mind, "People tend to treat me differently when they find out, like suddenly I'm precious cargo and if they do something wrong—" she sighed again, shaking her head as she shut her eyes, "I hate it,"

She opened her eyes to look at Korra again, her eyes cast down to look at the tan girl's fingers twitching like they itched to move, "I suppose it is my fault," Asami scoffed lightly, "Everything I've done was for Future Industries,"

Korra stayed silent for a while and when Asami looked up, she saw those blue eyes were watching her thoughtfully, "Can I say something?" she said.

Asami looked at her incredulously, "Of course,"

Korra gave her a small smile before looking down at the pale hand laying limp between them and finally those tan fingers moved, lightly brushing pale knuckles once, just like Asami had done the night before.

Asami's breath hitched involuntarily and her eyes flicked up automatically to see if Korra noticed. The blue-eyed girl didn't seem to act any differently as she sat up on the bed and Asami released a breath. She didn't know why but she felt relief when she realized Korra didn't notice.

It seemed like an hour had passed—when really it was just seconds—before Korra finally spoke, looking down into pale green eyes, "Have you done anything to prove them wrong?"

Asami sat up as well, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Korra elaborated.

"You don't ever have to worry about me thinking of you that way because I know _you_ —not Asami Sato, the heiress, just _Asami_ ," Korra looked paused to see if she understood. She waited until Asami nodded before she continued.

"But I can't say the same for other people because I think as far as they know, you're the heiress to a multi-billion dollar company because, like you've said earlier, everything you've done is for Future Industries," Asami sort of understood, but she still couldn't see where Korra was going with this.

"What are you trying to say?" Asami eventually gave up trying to understand and just asked straight up.

"What I'm saying is do something different—something Asami Sato wouldn't do but Asami's been dying to try," the smile Korra gave her was mischievous, "Takes risks, Asami,"

Asami laughed as a thrill went through her body at the concept, "You're turning out to be a very bad influence, Korra," she said before giving the other girl a mischievous smile of her own, "Where do I start?"

\----------------------

"Okay I take it back I wanna go back to my room—you know, _where there's a lesser chance of me cracking my head open,”_

“That won't happen,”

“You don't know that for sure!”

"Where's the trust, Sami?"

"Back in my room—let's go get it,"

Korra rolled her eyes and she was pretty certain Asami saw it too, considering the sneer the raven-haired girl gave her despite it being pitch-black outside Asami's window. Yes, you heard it right. They were _outside_ Asami's window.

The raven-haired girl cautiously peeked over the railing of the fire escape, keeping most of her lower half close to the wall as she gripped the bar tightly—so naturally, Korra only felt the need to spook the other girl. She gave Asami's shoulder a slight nudge and that was enough to send the girl panicking. She did this squeal-scream thing as she jumped back, her back ramming into the wall with a thud.

She breathing heavily when she glared at a snickering Korra, "I really don't know how scaring me to death helps me in any way,"

Korra shrugged and gave her an innocent smile, "This isn't even the best part," she said with a wink before going down the trap.

"Korra!" she heard Asami shout from above her just as her feet touched the concrete. She let go of the ladder she brought down with her weight and looked up to find the raven-haired girl looking down at her from the trap door. She lifted a hand to wave at the girl but to her surprise—and extreme amusement—the girl simply exploded, "I thought you fucking fell!"

Korra smirked, "Cursing already huh? Maybe I really am a bad influence,"

Despite the distance and the poor lighting, Korra saw pale green eyes glare at her, "That's because I thought you fell to your death," she said defensively.

"Well it's gonna take a lot more than falling to get rid of me," she smirked again when she thought she heard the girl mutter something about her being stupid, "What are you waiting for? We don't have all night so get down here," she said once she noticed the girl hadn't moved an inch.

Asami seemed to panic, "And how do I do that?"

Korra stared up at her incredulously, "Didn't I just drop one floor down to prep this ladder for you?" she said before gesturing grandly at the metal object.

"Didn't I just tell you I want to stay away from situations that endanger my life?" Asami countered as backed even further away from the trap.

Korra released an exasperated sigh. She placed her hands on her hips as she bit her lower lip thoughtfully.

She could hear shoes clanging on the metal gratings as Asami moved further away from the ladder. It would be simpler if Korra would just let her go, give up and maybe even spend more time in the raven-haired girl's room. But she saw this as her best chance of showing Asami that she could trust Korra as well. Admittedly, the method's a little fucked up, but hey—its Korra we're talking about.

"Asami?" she called out.

"What?" she heard the raven-haired girl say.

Letting her arms drop to her sides, Korra finally looked up to look at the girl, silently willing her to meet her eyes, "Do you trust me?"

Despite the dark, she saw Asami pause. Her hand hovered just inches away from the window, seemingly about to open it when she stopped and looked down the trap to meet blue eyes. Then in an almost vulnerable tone, "Of course,"

For a moment, blue eyes were unseeing as Korra wondered why the exchange felt and sounded so familiar. She shook her head slightly to clear it before looking up at pale green eyes which were watching her thoughtfully and it almost seemed like the girl knew exactly what she was thinking of.

Words were resting on the tip of her tongue, words just waiting to be uttered to the raven-haired girl. But Korra refused to acknowledge it. Not now.

"Then come down," she said instead.

There was a moment of silence that almost seemed disappointed on Asami's end but Korra convinced herself she was imagining things. The silence meant Asami was scared. Yeah, she'll stick with that.

"What if I fall?" came the almost childlike reply.

Korra didn't even hesitate, "Then I'll be here to catch you,"

That seemed to shock Korra more than Asami. But it was true—she would never let Asami get hurt, not when she had something to do about it and she didn't know why she felt that way.

Asami seemed to contemplate on her words for a while, as to the measure how much she meant it before she released a heavy exhale, running the hand that wasn't gripping the railing through her hair, "Okay."

It was only when Asami had started to carefully climb down did Korra fully realize what she had said. While the words themselves were simple and very straightforward, she couldn't help but think they could be meant in a different way—one that sounded more like commitment. The thought should terrify her, but oddly enough, it made her feel at peace—though she didn't dare look deeper into it.

Having been so deep in thought, Korra hadn't realized that Asami had already made it safely to the ground and was currently standing in front of her, arms crossed as she watched the other girl with amusement, seemingly already over her initial fear.

Feeling a sudden urge to be a little mischievous, Asami didn't make her presence known to the other girl—at least until she shouted, "Oh my god!"

The tan girl jumped up a good 3 feet off the ground and shouted back, "What?"

This only seemed to amuse the other girl, her smirk transforming into a smile, "Nothing—just checking if you were still with me," she said teasingly, completely ignoring the fact that Korra nearly died of a heart attack, "I could've fallen and you wouldn't even notice,"

Korra blushed when she realized that Asami had a point, "Yeah, sorry about that," she apologized sincerely, "I just have a lot on my mind right now,"

Asami gave her a thoughtful yet fond look, "It's fine, Korra—I was just teasing," she said with a smile, "So did I pass the 'Take Risks' test?" she said happily, quickly changing the subject.

Korra quickly relaxed, an easy smile already on her face, "We haven't even started," she said with a wink.

\-----------------

Asami's pride has _officially_ left the building.

While she was usually extremely picky as to who she flirted with, here she was with a boy who hadn't quite gone through puberty and humoring the said boy as he incessantly tried to seduce her—at least what seemed like an attempt at it.

"So did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

It physically hurt Asami resisting an eyeroll at that one.

The boy—who couldn't be older than 16 in Asami's opinion—was leaning on the counter behind the cash register in what she supposed he believed was in a cool fashion and was winking in a way that Asami had to seriously worry if he had something wrong with his eye.

Think of the most stereotypical nerd you can come up with—the type that gets swirlies from bullies in school, complete with spectacles too large for his frail, pimply face and greasy curly hair. _That's_ what she was dealing with.

Thank god Opal wasn't with them—she'd never hear the end of it.

While the boy shot her various pickup lines—she really had to wonder if anything he used worked on anyone—Asami snuck a glance around the convenience store from the corner of her eye and caught a flash of Korra's tan skin between the aisles. She refocused her attention to the cashier in front of her and shot the prepubescent boy a dazzling smile in case he caught her odd behavior—which he didn't, considering how he was too busy staring at her obsessively.

Then she heard the telltale click of the tongue coming from somewhere between the aisles, the signal they decided on to indicate Korra was ready to initiate her escape.

Resisting the urge to check on the other girl, Asami placed her forearms on the counter and leaned in closer to the boy in front of her, effectively stopping him from giving her any more pickup lines—thank freaking god—a gulp visibly going down his throat once he realized their proximity.

"You know," she started with a low voice, "I've actually been stalling for time,"

Asami could practically feel Korra's eyes boring into her and she could almost hear her screaming into her ear—a very loud, _What the fuck are you doing?!_ —but Asami pushed that to the back of her mind and focused on her task.

The boy's demeanor somewhat changed and Asami could see he was growing a little more wary, "What do you mean?" he said, his eyes narrowing slightly from behind his large glasses.

She leaned in slightly and indicated with her finger for the boy to come closer. With only a second of hesitation, the boy leaned in as well until there was only a breath's worth of space between them and despite her instinctive urge to recoil, Asami pushed on.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked under her breath.

The boy's eyes widened slightly before he nodded eagerly and Asami thanked the gods for the hundredth time that night that the boy didn't speak. Asami was sure he was a nice boy and all but given their proximity she wasn't too eager to know what the boy's breath smelled like.

In an even lower voice, so low that she made sure to speak right next to the boy's ear, sending shivers down his spine, "I actually came in here because of you," she admitted before leaning back slightly, making a show of biting her lower lip as if she were ashamed, "I was just passing by and I saw you through the window and well—I just had to speak to you,"

"If you want," Asami bit down on her lip a little harder as if in thought, pausing dramatically as if to weigh her options before looking up at the boy with slightly pleading eyes, "I can give you my number and we can hang out sometime?"

She took a little pleasure in her ability to make the boy come undone with just a few words and actions, his breathing a little ragged and his pale skin visibly clammy under the fluorescent lights. He nodded eagerly once again and seemed to visibly struggle not to melt on the spot when Asami shot him another dazzling smile.

She wrote down her number—a fake one of course—on a spare paper she found and reached over the counter to slip the piece of paper into the boy's front pocket. She ignored the way the boy discreetly snuck a look down the front of her shirt—not to mention the urge to smack him over to the next state.

She gave him another smile—a shy one this time—reaching up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, "Would you give me yours as well? Can't have you ditching on me," she teased with a shy laugh.

That seemed to wake the boy up, his curls bouncing as he nodded with even more eagerness than before, "Yeah—uh—hold on, I need to ask my mom,"

 _Seriously?_ Asami thought but smiled nonetheless, sending the boy off to call his mom.

While his back was turned, Asami allowed herself to scan the area to check if Korra had properly escaped—but much to her surprise, she saw Korra standing in front of the aisles with her jaw on the floor.

With a cocky smile playing on her lips, Asami tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow questioningly as if to say _Enjoying the show?_

Much like the boy earlier, that seemed to wake Korra up and Asami got the pleasure to watch a blush slowly bloom on the tan girl's face. The raven-haired girl smirked triumphantly which caused the other girl to blush even more.

The tan girl pouted and Asami could practically hear Korra telling her to shut up.

As much as she was enjoying the blue-eyed girl getting all flustered, she could tell the boy was finishing up his call. She turned back to him and made a gesture with her hand behind the counter, making sure it was visible only to Korra. The girl seemed to get the message as she hurriedly but quietly left the convenience store.

The boy turned to face her once again with an apologetic look, "My mom said no," he said with a slight pout, "She said I shouldn't give personal information to strangers,"

Asami gave him a reassuring smile but really, she was just plain relieved, "She's a smart woman," she said honestly just as she started to walk away, "Well, you have my number anyways so—"

"Wait!" the boy called back, "Is it okay if I test it? Can't have you accidentally giving me the wrong number," he said with that same spasmodic wink.

 _Oh crud,_ Asami thought but smiled and nodded nonetheless.

He quickly dialed the fake number in his phone and pressed the device to his ear, all the while Asami started to discreetly inch herself towards the exit.

She could hear the dial tone from the boy's end and yet her phone remained silent in her hand. He seemed to notice this as he glanced down at the device in her grasp. Asami smiled nervously at him and took a moment to glance down at his name tag. Might as well know the guy's name if she was just gonna ditch him, "Well Sinjin, it looks like I have to go now,"

He was about to say something but Asami didn't stay to find out when she all but ran towards the exit.

"Wait!" she heard the boy call out again and Asami glanced back to see him clambering over the counter to run after her.

Not too eager for that, she ran even faster and zoomed past Korra, who was staring at her with a confused expression. Asami looked back and paused when Korra still hadn't moved.

"What are you waiting for?!" Asami couldn't help but exclaim when she saw Sinjin catching up.

Korra followed her line of sight and realization seemed to hit her hard, sending her off into a sprint with a string of curses slipping past her lips.

Korra's more athletic build made it harder for Asami to catch up but was able to after a second. The blue-eyed girl stared at her incredulously as they ran alongside each other, "What the fuck did you give him? A fucking _love potion?"_ she managed to ask between breaths.

Asami, despite the situation, managed to laugh loudly, "Maybe I'm just that good,"

Korra looked over her shoulder and groaned, "Well you might as well have given him one because he is one persistent motherfucker," she said before telling Asami to follow her lead, switching directions and heading towards the parking lot.

Given that the parking was for the motel right beside the convenience store, it was pretty packed. Asami wondered if they were going to break into a car and hot wire it—considering Sinjin's persistence, probably not such a bad idea.

But Korra merely grabbed her hand and ran straight into the maze of cars, making random turns and Asami realized that she was trying to throw Sinjin off their trail.

After about 7 turns, Korra stopped abruptly and hurriedly pulled Asami along to hide behind a large SUV. She crouched down to the gravel-covered ground and tugged Asami down with her—both girls struggling to get their breathing under control after their impromptu marathon.

Korra held a finger to her slightly lips and the other girl nodded, ducking down behind the car even further. Asami watched Korra as she slowly peeked over the car door they were hiding behind and through the window. Asami could see her blue eyes widen before she ducked back down beside Asami.

It wasn't too long before they heard feet shuffling on gravel before coming to a halt.

The two girls held their breath for a few dead silent seconds before they heard Sinjin groan loudly, "Just when I thought I could finally prove to the guys I really had a girlfriend! She was smoking hot too! Ugh!"

Asami glanced at Korra at gave her another triumphant smirk and receiving a roll of blue eyes in return.

Then Korra seemed to visibly perk up—Asami narrowed her eyes, she knew what that twinkle in those blue eyes meant.

The blue-eyed girl only smirked at the suspicious look being sent her way before picking up a small piece of gravel from beside their feet and weighed it in her palm thoughtfully. She glanced over the window once again before quietly standing up and throwing the rock somewhere off the distance.

Then Asami heard a car alarm go off.

"Oh shiz!" she heard Sinjin say before she heard the sound of him running away.

The blaring of the car horn muffled the loud laughter of both girls as they finally released their breaths and relaxed, rising from their hiding spot and headed towards the direction they came from.

Korra let out a disbelieving huff once they've recovered from their laughter, "I can't believe you were enough to make that guy chase us all the way out here—all for just a few more minutes with you," she said with an incredulous shake of her head.

Asami put on a sultry look, "Never underestimate me and the art of seduction," she said with an accent before dropping the act with a laugh.

She had expected Korra to laugh along with her but was surprised to find the looking at her contemplatively, a fond look in her blue eyes, "You really are something else, Asami Sato,"

The raven-haired girl made a show of laughing, "That's what they all say," she teased but really, she was doing her best to hide the blush in her cheeks.

Silence enveloped them on the way back to Asami's apartment but she wasn't surprised to find it wasn't uncomfortable. She found herself contented just being with the other girl.

Then, for no reason whatsoever, the raven-haired girl watched Korra as she walked merely a few inches away from her. The exhales that escaped past the tan girl's lips turned into fog in the late November air. Her messy hair hung past her blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. A thrill surged through her at the sight, like being with Korra and just seeing the girl with her was enough to excite her.

If taking risks meant being with Korra and feeling this thrill, then Asami was willing to take on anything the world threw at her.

\----------------------------

"So what did you manage to grab?"

"You'll see,"

"Why can't you show me now?"

"Because you need to finish climbing that ladder,"

Korra could see the raven-haired girl visibly huff as she clung to the rungs of the ladder before looking down at the tan girl from her vantage point, "Remind me why we have to pass the fire exit again?"

Korra just smiled encouragingly, making the other girl huff once again before she continued her climb.

She chuckled before relenting, "It's still part of your 'Take Risks' test—that and we did just stage a heist so that means we should avoid any surveillance cameras,"

Asami shot her another glance, "You're thinking way too much into this,"

Korra shrugged, "Better safe than sorry, you know,"

The concrete was only one floor down so Asami didn't have to take too long just to reach her, but Korra realized the distance was big enough that should Asami fall and she wasn't able to catch her, well it wouldn't be pretty. Korra immediately went on high alert and watched every movement the other girl made. That's how she saw the mistake before it even happened.

Asami looked back down but continued her trek upwards, "Come on, I'm curious." she whined, "What did we nearly get caught for—"

Her foot missed a step by just a few centimeters, but it was enough to send her off balance.

Korra saw her hand slip and heard Asami let out a yelp of surprise. Korra relied completely on instinct and ran, reaching the spot where Asami would've landed just in time.

She caught Asami effortlessly but Korra severely underestimated the force that sent the raven-haired girl falling, sending them both hurling towards the concrete.

However, thanks to her quick reflexes, Korra immediately twisted them around midair as they both fell, making sure she would be the one to hit the ground.

She let out a low grunt when her back collided with the hard surface and distinctly registered another yelp from the other girl, but she couldn't see a thing. Korra could only see darkness and her nose was filled with jasmine.

 _Wow_ , she couldn't help but think as she instinctively breathed it in. She wondered what could possibly smell so good.

"Korra," she thought she heard Asami say, then she suddenly could see again.

She blinked as her eyes were unveiled and that's when she realized. It was Asami's hair that blocked her eyes, Asami's scent that she had inhaled, Asami's weight that was pressing down on her body.

Asami was on top of her, her arms braced at the sides of Korra's head, every inch of her body in pressed against hers, their faces just inches away from the other.

_Well._

Neither of them moved as they stared at each other, still slightly breathless from falling—or maybe because of something else.

Blue eyes flicked down at where their bodies met and Korra decided the breathlessness wasn't from falling.

She noticed a lock of raven black hair slipped from behind Asami's ear and Korra felt the urge to brush it back—so she did. She slowly lifted her hand—slow enough for Asami to pull away if she wished to—and reached past the tiny space between them.

It may sound a little dramatic, but it seemed like Korra completely lost track of time in the next few moments. She found herself almost mesmerized by the pale green eyes hovering just above her own. She watched her hand explore, as if she wasn't in full control of her actions and she was merely an audience. Her fingers ran through the silky tresses, her fingertips just barely grazing a blushing cheek, trailing further down to trace a pale jaw.

Asami shivered visibly, her eyes closing involuntarily while her lips parted with a breath. Korra felt her eyes being drawn towards the parted lips and she felt this sudden and very odd urge to lean upwards to catch those lips with her own.

Korra quickly retracted her hand as she was suddenly jolted back into reality, _She's a friend, Korra._

"Told you I would catch you," Korra said quietly and damn she even sounded breathless to herself.

Asami blinked as if coming out of a daze herself and pulled away slightly, her blush growing as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear once again. Korra subconsciously—almost jealously—watched the movement with her eyes.

Asami noticed and immediately dropped her hand back beside Korra's head. She cleared her throat slightly, "I think we should go,"

For a moment, Korra was almost tempted to say no and despite a part of her was screaming for her to stay right where she was—she nodded her head nonetheless, "Yeah."

But neither one moved. Asami cleared her throat again and flicked her eyes downwards and that's when Korra realized her hands were firmly planted onto Asami's hips.

She quickly released her hold and dropped her hands down to her sides, letting out an awkward laugh as Asami stood and brushed herself off. She quickly did the same, looking at everything except for the girl beside her.

Once she gathered enough courage to look at the other girl again, she found Asami looking at her fondly.

Korra blushed deeply and fidgeted slightly, "What?" she said a little defensively.

Asami simply continued to stare at the other girl before a smirk slowly reached her lips, "Can't keep your hands off of me huh?"

The sight of Korra’s jaw promptly hitting the floor seemed to send Asami into a fit of laughter, the girl doubling over as she clutched her stomach, musical laughter ringing across the empty alley. Though deeply flustered, Korra found herself relieved to find not a single trace of repulsion in Asami’s eyes. The moment had been undeniably intimate and Korra was more than a little nervous to see the girl’s reaction towards it—though she was surprised at herself to find that she was a little disappointed that the moment had simply passed. Korra quickly smothered the thought.

Korra got over her initial shock and merely shook her head at the girl, "I can't believe I once believed you were shy and soft-spoken," she said with a smile.

Asami shrugged, "Better believe it, sweetheart," she said with a slight smirk before adding, "On second thought, better get used to it,"

Korra rolled her eyes light-heartedly before nodding her head towards the direction of the building's entrance, "Come on, I think we've both had enough of ladders for tonight," she jested. In reality, she just didn't want Asami to put herself in any more dangerous situations after that one.

\-------------------------

A few minutes later, they found themselves walking past Asami's door and into her apartment. It struck the raven-haired girl that she was in bed so many hours ago and yet it seemed like not much time had passed.

Korra trudged past the door and proceeded to unceremoniously plop herself down on the couch, going as far as switching on the TV as if she belonged there. The raven-haired girl shook her head lightly but didn't protest, in fact the sight of Korra making herself comfortable in Asami’s home stirred something in her chest. She didn't dwell too much into it.

Leaving the other girl, Asami made her way to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable and was surprised to find the sky outside her window a little brighter than it was a few minutes ago. A quick glance at her bedside clock confirmed her earlier thoughts—time has escaped her notice. Upon a quick mental examination, Asami found herself not feeling at least a little bit exhausted. She knew that had everything to do with the fact that she was with Korra.

She quickly changed and soon she was stepping out of her bedroom. Just as she opened the door, her alarm rang clear across the apartment. While she had accepted the fact that it was time for reality to kick in, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment as her alarm just rubbed it in. She almost didn't want to go to her living room in fear of Korra saying she had to go back home.

But much to her surprise, Korra simply stretched her arms above her head from her spot on the couch before settling right back in, continuing her task of watching the morning run of SpongeBob on the screen.

 _Maybe she didn't hear the alarm,_ Asami thought to herself as she set the alarm in snooze. She found the thought impossible and unless Korra suffered from hearing loss—which she was sure was not the case—she would've known what the alarm meant.

The raven-haired girl briefly noticed the sunlight slowly but surely trickling in from the windows and into her living room, plain for Korra to see. As much as Asami wanted the girl to stay, surely Korra has to see that it was morning.

Beyond confused, Asami rounded the couch to check if Korra had somehow fallen asleep or something but wasn't surprised to see the girl wide awake.

Korra looked away from the TV and focused her blue eyes on the pale green eyes watching her curiously before letting out a sigh, "I never did tell you the real reason why I came here in the first place, did I?" she said seemingly out of nowhere.

Asami was a little caught off guard with the sudden topic but nodded nonetheless, "Yes, but I didn't want to pry," she admitted.

Korra continued to study her quietly for a while before looking away, settling her gaze on the screen in front of them but Asami had a feeling the other girl wasn't actually paying attention to the show.

"Last night—well, technically two nights ago—was the best sleep I had for a while now, probably even before I moved here. I figured it was because I was piss drunk at that time,"

Korra's clothes rustled against the material of the couch as she shrugged, "It occurred to me last night as I lay in bed for hours that it wasn't the alcohol that made me feel—,"

She seemed at loss for words, but when Korra turned away from the screen and met pale green eyes, Asami saw something—she saw those blue eyes holding something that made her feel a little lightheaded.

"I felt safe that night," Korra admitted, as if something in Asami's eyes had pushed her to continue, "Like I was actually happy with where I was and it was the closest I've ever been to feeling like I was home,"

She bit her lower lip before looking away completely, "It wasn't the alcohol,"

The silence that sat between them slowly filled the room, eating away at Asami's thoughts with everything that Korra's words implied—what she meant to say but didn't dare let past her lips.

Did Korra mean her? Asami recalled the morning before as she stood in the middle of Korra's apartment, remembering the loneliness she felt as she caught a glimpse of how Korra lived everyday—Asami had hated just the concept alone. Now she was faced by the prospect that _perhaps_ Korra had found comfort in the raven-haired girl’s presence. Asami didn't know what to do with that knowledge and the expectations that came with it.

Then there was their moment in the fire escape. Asami didn't know what to make of that either. She had been more of a spectator at that time, unable to do anything but watch because she was frozen by something she saw in Korra's eyes, something similar to what she saw in them now as they stood in her apartment. It was confusing to say the least but it stirred something within her and she couldn't say it was unpleasant. It intrigued her.

But despite all these thoughts, Asami remained silent. She knew that Korra would have told her if she wanted to and if she didn't—well, Asami would respect that.

Suddenly the loaded silence was broken by the shrill sound of Asami’s alarm going off again. This seemed to shake Korra from her thoughts and once again meeting pale green eyes with a forced smile. While Korra’s eyes were usually windows to her thoughts, Asami found the blues to be unreadable at the moment. Asami would do anything to find out what was behind that fake smile.

“Looks like you can finally repay me for lending you my clothes,” Korra teased and Asami felt her disappointment spread even further, but she swallowed it down with a strained smile of her own.

“I'm not so sure you'd agree with my wardrobe choices,” she replied as if the past few minutes hadn't bothered her in the slightest, “But I bet I can find you something you'd deem relatively acceptable,” she teased back as she headed towards her bedroom to do just that, her smile falling the moment she looked away.

Her hand had gripped the doorknob of her bedroom door when Asami heard a voice speak up suddenly.

“Asami,” Korra called out.

With a silent sigh, Asami let go of the door to turn around and face her friend, but not before taking a moment to put on a convincing smile, “Yeah?” she prodded.

Korra looked up from where she was watching the morning cartoons and set her gaze on the raven-haired girl thoughtfully for a while before reaching for something in her jacket pocket.

Asami saw the girl pull her hand back and throw something at her direction. The raven-haired girl caught the projectile instinctively, her hands wrapping around something soft. She stared at Korra questioningly but the blue-eyed girl only pointed at Asami’s hands in reply.

Confused, Asami looked down at the object Korra had tossed and was surprised—shocked even—to find a pack of Twinkies in her hands.

Images from last night’s dream flashed before her eyes and instead of freaking out like she expected herself to, Asami found herself smiling like an idiot at the delicacy. She looked up from her hands and found Korra giving her a small smile before turning her head to face the screen once again.

Asami felt her smile spread into a grin as she held the Twinkie up, “This is what we could've gotten arrested for?” she said incredulously, but didn't bother hiding the happy tone in her voice.

Korra merely shrugged from her spot on the couch, “I figured you'd like having angel shit for breakfast,” she said indifferently, but Asami could see the girl was hiding a smile with the telltale twitch at the corner of her mouth.

And just like that, Asami’s spirits lifted.

Maybe Korra didn't want to tell her everything and while that was disappointing, Asami understood completely.

But after their moment in the fire escape and the fact that she made an effort just to get her a freaking _Twinkie_ —Asami decided that it didn't matter how long Korra would take to completely open up to her. It was worth the wait.

_I felt safe that night._

_It was the closest I've ever been to feeling like I was home._

Asami couldn't agree more.

Korra was worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay I couldn't help but write that little cliche scene over there okay but come on who doesn't like a little OOPS I ACCIDENTALLY FELL ON TOP OF YOU AND NOW WERE STARING INTO EACH OTHERS EYES (thus the title of the chap :>)
> 
> and anyone spot that little cameo? can I hear it from Victorious fans???
> 
> anyways let me know what you think of this one! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I just LOVE badass-Korra-but-mushy-for-Asami okay
> 
> I know, I know, this chapter has been frustratingly vague and it's killing me but everything (like what the hell is happening with Korra) will be explained in future chapters (which may or may not be as long as this one oops)
> 
> But oh my god, am I excited to write this one! Just so ya'll know, I have the whole story mapped out and I can't wait to share it with all of you!
> 
> All chapter titles are lyrics taken from the playlist I made especially for this story btw haha
> 
> If I'm being consistent, expect an update weekly!
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you think!
> 
> Any form of feedback (kudos/comments/etc.) is greatly appreciated! I need all the motivation I can get because like some of you know, I tend to update really irregularly BUT good feedback is like fuel to me!
> 
> Also you can follow me @pugsofhousetargaryen on Tumblr!


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